Magic Number Four
by 23TigerLily23
Summary: Harry and Ginny agreed years ago that they both wanted three children. Their perfect family has been complete for almost 12 years now, and the magic three are all off at Hogwarts. So, what happens when the Potters get an unexpected surprise? How will they deal with the changes in their life?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm in the middle of another story right now (it's called Marry Me?), but I kept thinking about this plot and it wouldn't leave me alone! I probably won't update this as regularly as Marry Me?, but I had the idea for the prologue all in my head, so I figured I would just write it. I hope you enjoy this story!**

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling!  
**

Harry Potter stepped over the threshold of his house, still chuckling at the piece of parchment clutched in his left hand.

"Ginny? Are you home? We've had a letter from Albus!" he called. "Gin, it's absolutely hilarious. You've got to read it! And we've got a short note from Lily, too. She's been sorted into Gryffindor!" Harry stopped for a moment, hearing no response. Noticing his wife's coat and shoes by the door, he concluded that she was, in fact, home. But where was she? Harry began to walk up the stairs, calling her name again. No response. Finally, as he began to search through the children's vacant bedrooms, he heard muffled noises coming from the master bathroom. Taking the stairs two at a time, he pushed the door open, revealing Ginny seated on the edge of the tub.

"There you are, Gin! Didn't you hear…" he trailed off, noticing the shocked look on her face and the small object she was holding. "What's wrong, darling? Is everything alright?" he asked, striding across the bathroom to sit by her.

Wordlessly, she held up the object. It was an ovular piece of plastic, white with a blue tip and a blue plus sign in the center of it. For a moment, Harry didn't recognize it, but then he gasped in surprise.

"Ginny?" he asked. "Is that a – "

"I'm pregnant," his wife said.

**A/N: So, did you like it? Should I continue? Please, leave me some feedback in a review! Hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope to have the next chapter up within a week because it's mostly written already. Thanks for reading! - Lily**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm really liking this story right now, so I've been working on this one on my rainy day! I hope you all enjoyed the prologue – thank you to Qoheleth, Cartman1701 (sorry it was so short – it was just a prologue; hope this one is long enough!), jvic98, and anthony37 (thank you so much for the suggestions! We have similar ideas – this chapter has a lot of Molly!) for reviewing. It made my day! I hope everyone enjoys chapter 1!**

_Previously: Wordlessly, she held up the object. It was an ovular piece of plastic, white with a blue tip and a blue plus sign in the center of it. For a moment, Harry didn't recognize it, but then he gasped in surprise. _

_ "Ginny?" he asked. "Is that a – "_

_ "I'm pregnant," his wife said. _

"What?" Harry asked, a look of shock playing across his face.

"I'm pregnant," Ginny whispered again, staring down at the floor. For a moment, Harry didn't say anything. Then, leaping up from his seat next to hear, he began shouting and whooping, spinning crazily around the room.

"I'm going to be a dad again! We're having a baby!" he shouted, pulling Ginny up and twirling her around. He danced around the room, picking her up and spinning her wildly through the air. Abruptly, he stopped and placed a protective hand on her stomach. "I'm so sorry, Gin. I forgot! That didn't hurt the baby did it?" he asked. Ginny had to giggle at the horrified look on his face.

"Of course not, you nutter! The baby's fine! But you're really not upset?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Of course I'm not upset, darling! We're having a baby! A brand new baby, a piece of both of us! A new brother or sister for our children! What is there to be upset about?" he asked, returning her smile and kissing her softly. Breaking off the kiss after a moment, Ginny began to protest again.

"I don't know. It's just, well…we had always planned on three, and I wasn't sure how you would react," Ginny said, sitting back down.

"I'm ecstatic, Ginny. Ecstatic! A new baby is such a blessing. And your mum will just die! She's been saying for years how she needs a new grandbaby, how all her grandkids have gotten so big. She'll be thrilled! We have to go tell her, right away! And we have to tell the kids! We can't do this in a letter – no, we'll have to go visit them; maybe a dinner at Hogwarts? I wonder if McGonagall would allow it." Harry said, breathless with excitement.

"Whoa, Harry, just hold on a bit," Ginny said, pulling him back down to sit with her. "Now, I'm only about 2 months along. Normally I would have taken the test earlier – I've had a hunch for a couple of weeks – but it just seemed so impossible that I didn't take it. Regardless, I'm still in my first trimester, so I feel like we need to keep this quiet for at least another month until we tell anyone. After all, something could go wrong, and then we'll all be crushed."

"I suppose you're right, Gin, but I'm just bursting with excitement! Can't we at least tell your mum?" Harry asked, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Well…" Ginny mulled it over for a moment, "I suppose we could maybe tell just her. After all, she probably already knows anyway. She was the one that told me I was pregnant with James before I even thought about taking a test!"

"Oh, good, Ginny! I just have to tell someone. And it's only right that we tell her. But we have to make her promise not to tell anyone. It'll be difficult for her, but maybe if we promise her she can throw a celebratory announcement party next month, she'll be able to keep it quiet," Harry suggested, standing again and offering his wife his hand. She took it, and they walked downstairs together towards the living room fireplace.

"Come on, Gin, you go first. No Apparating now, it's bad for the baby," Harry said, tossing some Floo powder into the fire and ushering his wife into the flames. Following her in, they shouted "The Burrow!" and moments later emerged in the comfortable living room of the family home. They heard familiar clanking of pots and pans from the kitchen, and sure enough, Molly Weasley soon appeared, wiping her hands on her apron and offering them a big smile.

"Why hello dears, what a nice surprise! What brings you here today? Some news for me?" she asked, subtly eyeing Ginny's stomach. "Well, come on into the kitchen and I'll fix you something to eat. You just sit down and relax!" As Harry and Ginny followed her to the kitchen table, Ginny leaned up and whispered in her husband's ear, "I don't know how she always knows about these things before we do!" Harry chuckled softly, and responded with just one word - "Magic." As they sat down, Molly bustled off to the stove, where she had potatoes peeling themselves. Ginny moved to help her, but Molly waved her off.

"You just relax, dear. You work hard enough! Let your old mum fix you children a meal. It's been too long since I've cooked for anyone but your father. Speaking of which, he should be back in about an hour and a half if you wanted to say hello." Molly said, continuing with her chopping.

"Mum, you really don't have to make anything for us. It's just a quick visit," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"We do actually have something rather important to tell you though," Harry said. "Could you come sit down with us for a minute?"

"Of course! Let me just fix these potatoes, and I'll be right over," Molly said. With a wave of her wand, the potatoes began to chop themselves, and she sat down at the table with Harry and Ginny. "Now, what was it you needed to talk about?"

"Well," Ginny began, "We've just found out, and you have to promise not to tell anyone what we're about to tell you. Do you think you can do that?"

"Darling. What do you take me for?" Molly asked. "Now, please, continue."

Harry began to speak, grasping Ginny's hand under the table. "Well, the thing is, since James, Albus, and Lily are all off at Hogwarts now, we've had some more, ahem, well-"

"Free time," Ginny jumped in, blushing. "And, well, I took a test today, and it turns out,"

"YOU'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!" Molly shouted, springing up from her chair and grabbing both Ginny and Harry in a tight hug. "Oh, I knew it! I knew it! Finally, a new grandbaby! How far along are you, darling? Boy or girl? Oh, maybe it's twins! They do run in the family, you know! We have to start preparing right now. You both should re-read my book about pregnancy and babies – after all, you're a bit out of practice – and you'll have to set up a nursery. Oh my goodness, we have to tell everyone! We'll have a party! We can have it here at the Burrow – after all, Harry dear, Grimmauld Place isn't exactly the spot for an outdoor picnic. And the other children! You have to tell them! Oh, little Lily will be so excited to have a new baby brother or sister, I know she's always wanted – "

"Mum! Mum! Hold on, please!" Ginny shouted, managing to finally get a word in over Molly's elated tangent. "Please, I know you're excited, but just stop for a moment. Remember, you promised us you wouldn't tell anyone. I'm only two months along and I just took the test today. It's still very early."

"Oh," Molly said, deflating a bit and sitting back down. "Still, what wonderful news! You two must be thrilled!"

"We are, we're just so excited," Harry said. "We wanted to tell you first, but we don't want anyone else to know for about a month. We agreed to throw a small party here to announce it, that is, if you want to."

"Of course, dears! It will be simply lovely. But I can't even tell Arthur?" she asked, a bit dejected. Harry and Ginny shared a quick glance, and then Ginny spoke up.

"Well, maybe you can tell Dad – but that's _all_, Mum! No one else, alright?" Ginny asked.

"I won't tell a soul, Ginny. But you really must start preparing. This is fabulous news! My, the first grandbaby since little Hugo over eleven years ago!" Molly said excitedly. "Now, I have to get back to my chicken – you two must stay for dinner! Won't you please?"

"I'll never pass up a chance for your cooking, Molly," Harry said. "Although of course Ginny's is quite excellent as well!" he added, noticing the look on his wife's face. _I hope women aren't as hormonal with the fourth child as they are with the first three,_ he thought._ Knowing my luck, it'll be even worse!_

**A/N: So, like it, love it, hate it? Please, leave me some feedback in a review! Next chapter won't be quite as quick, but I have lots of ideas for this story. Oh, and if you want, suggest a baby name or whether it should be a boy or girl. I might use your suggestion! Thanks for reading! – Lily **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry it took me a while to update - a lot of bad real life stuff has been going on, so I don't know if I'll really be able to update this on a schedule. However, writing relaxes me, so I am going to try to do at least weekly chapters. Thank you to everyone who reviewed - harrypottergleek0227, Counting Airplanes, Cartman1701, sparklesistah137, TheUnforgiven135,orbitbystarlight,IFlipForHarryPotter, and GetMoMoney-333. The reviews make my day and really encourage me to keep writing! Also, thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites or alerts! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

Arriving home from an evening of laughter, good food, and numerous champagne (and in Ginny's case, sparkling cider) toasts, Harry was on cloud nine. As he and Ginny got ready for bed, a wide grin remained a permanent fixture on his face, and the spring in his step was evident. He was so ecstatic about the surprise news that he had failed to notice his wife deflating throughout the night. In sharp contrast to his own mood, she began to retreat further and further into herself, and as they prepared to go to sleep, her usually-fiery eyes had lost their luster and she hunched over as she walked. While Harry bounced around the room, occasionally muttering things like "A new baby!" or "I'm going to be a dad again!", she crawled into her comfiest pajamas and laid down, curling into a little ball under the covers. At last, as her oblivious husband also slipped into bed, he noticed that she was not ecstatic like he was. Scooting over to her side of the bed, he wrapped his arms around her, and noticed her body shaking with silent sobs.

"Ginny? What's wrong, darling? What's wrong? Are you alright?" Harry asked, beginning to get very concerned.

"I'm just scared," Ginny said, turning towards him. "And I'm a little bit sad."

"But why, Gin? This is exciting! A new baby, a new chapter of our lives!" Harry said, confused.

"Harry, this baby won't even know our other children! We always planned on three, close together in age so they could be friends as well as siblings. This baby will be over 12 years younger than our youngest child! That's a bigger difference than me and Bill! And Bill was more of an uncle to me than a brother. This baby will be growing up alone. I just can't imagine it," Ginny said, tears still falling down her cheeks. "I suppose I'm excited, but it just doesn't seem real yet. I already love this baby, and I feel bad that we are bringing it into the world under these conditions. I don't want this baby to know that it was an accident, but how will it seem, with the age difference? And James, and Al, and Lily – Harry, they're going to think we're replacing them!"

"Stop right there, Ginny," Harry said, looking her straight in the eyes and wiping away her tears. "This baby is not an accident. It may be a surprise, but it is not an accident, nor is it a replacement of our older children. Everything happens for a reason; obviously we are being blessed with a fourth child for a reason. Look, I know we weren't expecting this, and it still feels a little surreal to you – me too. But at this point we just have to accept it and start getting excited. I thought you _were_ excited! What was going on tonight, Gin? You seemed so happy, but then we got home and it was like a sudden shift in your mood."

"Hormones, darling!" Ginny said, for the first time beginning to smile and look more like her usual self. "Don't you remember what I'm like when I'm pregnant?" She grinned at Harry's expression.

"Don't I!" Harry said, grimacing a bit. She slapped him on the arm in mock annoyance, and he gave her a playful wounded look.

"No, but really, Harry, I was trying to be excited because I knew you were and so were my parents. I've been apprehensive and a little upset about this since I first started suspecting it, but I was trying to put on a happy face," Ginny said, still looking a little bit sad.

"Ginny," Harry sighed, "You should have just told me how you were feeling. I could have helped you! And now we've spent an entire day at your parents' house sharing the news and making toasts and – Merlin, I am such a git."

"You're not a git, Harry," Ginny said, laughing a little bit. "And I am excited. I'm just nervous because it was so unexpected. But at this point, we just have to make the best of it. And I know this baby will be loved no matter what circumstances it comes into this world under."

"Of course it will, Ginny. Just wait and see. This is going to be one of the best things that has ever happened to us!" Harry said. "Now, can we finally go to sleep?"

"Yes, Harry. Goodnight, dear," Ginny said, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Gin," Harry said softly. "I love you."

"Love you too," Ginny said sleepily, falling into dreams.

Awakening the next morning, Ginny turned towards Harry, yawning a sleepy "Good morning," but pausing when she noticed that he wasn't in bed. Hearing the clanking of pots and pans, presumably from the kitchen below, she smiled. _I have the best husband in the world_, she thought to herself, pulling on a robe and heading downstairs.

"Good morning, Harry," Ginny said, smiling widely as she walked into the kitchen. Her husband was at the stove in the midst of an elaborate breakfast creation, complete with a splotch of some kind of batter on his cheek. He turned towards her, looking startled and suddenly crestfallen.

"What's wrong, dear?" Ginny asked, noticing the disappointed look on his face.

"I was trying to surprise you with breakfast in bed," Harry said. "You never let me spoil you during your other pregnancies. You've always been so independent, Ginny." Noticing the look on his wife's face, he quickly added, "Of course, that's one of the things I love most about you, but just want you to rest during this pregnancy."

"I will _gladly_ let you wait on me, Harry," Ginny said. "Now you finish up. I'm going to head back up to bed to read the Daily Prophet. And then I'll call St. Mungo's to try and make an appointment with Healer Bones. It's so strange to be doing all this again."

"Just get excited about it, Gin. It's going to be great! Now, you go rest, and I'll be up with your breakfast shortly," Harry said, shooing her out of the kitchen. She walked back up the stairs, a hand on her slightly-protruding belly, thinking ruefully about what she would look like in 7 months' time. _I'll be as big as a house!_ _I never thought I'd be going through this again. Still, we'll just make the best of it. And it'll be nice to be waited on hand and foot! Harry has no idea what he's in for. _

A few days later, Ginny sat in the waiting room of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, waiting to be called in for her appointment and watching people in various states of distress running through the rooms. _How on earth could he have gotten a tea cup stuck in his ear?_ Ginny wondered to herself as one pained man ran up to the witch at the front desk. Suddenly, Harry sat down in the seat next to her, interrupting her thoughts with a quick kiss.

"Hey, Gin, sorry I'm late. Bit of trouble at work. Have you been waiting long?" he asked, putting an arm around her.

"Not too long, I've only been here about fifteen minutes. They should call me for my appointment soon, it was an eleven o'clock," Ginny said, leaning her head on his shoulder. He pulled her closer to him, and after a few moments, they noticed a trainee healer walking briskly towards them.

"Mrs. Potter?" the young girl asked. "Healer Bones will see you now, if you'll follow me." Harry and Ginny both rose and followed the girl to the maternity wing of the hospital, where they entered a cheery yellow room with comfortable chairs and various potions and other medical supplies littered about. The girl ushered them in and then left, telling them "Healer Bones will be with you shortly!" Ginny looked around the room, reminiscing about the first three times she had been in the same position. Healer Susan Bones, who had been in Harry's year at Hogwarts, had been her Mediwitch for all of her pregnancies, and this room held many happy memories for the Potter family. Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he said,

"D'you remember the first time we were in here, when we found out about James? And that he was a boy?"

"Of course I do. This room has been an important place for us," Ginny said, smiling at him and taking his hand. "Mind you, this will be the last time we are in here. No more babies after this one!"

"Alright, no more babies," Harry laughed. "Or maybe just one more?"

"Not a chance, you nutter! Five children? Three has been hard up to this point. We can't handle five with our jobs and everything else in our lives. Never mind seven like my parents! I don't know how on earth they did it all," Ginny said.

"That's certainly true," Harry agreed. "I have always been slightly in awe of your mother."

"In some way, I think everyone is," Ginny laughed. "She is definitely an amazing woman." Just then, the door opened and Healer Bones walked in.

"Hello, Potters! Nice to see you! Although I never expected to see you two in here again!" Healer Bones said, striding across the room to shake Harry and Ginny's hands.

"Well, we weren't expecting to be in here again either, Healer Bones, but I guess life had some surprises in store," Harry laughed, getting up to give her a quick hug.

"So, you're pregnant again, Ginny?" the Healer asked, eyeing the slight bulge of her belly.

"Well, I took one of those Muggle pregnancy tests, and it said I was. I feel like it too – I've had some morning sickness, fatigue, cravings, missed my period, and I seem to be showing a little bit already," Ginny said.

"Yes, I noticed that you are showing a bit – how far along did you think you were?" Healer Bones asked.

"Well, by my estimates, I'd say about eight weeks," Ginny said.

"Alright, well, we need to confirm that, and also confirm the pregnancy, so if you could just stand up for a moment, I'll check on that." As Ginny stood up, the Healer took out her wand and waved it around Ginny's stomach, where a blue plus sign appeared.

"Okay, so you are definitely pregnant, and now we just need to confirm how far along you are." The Healer put her wand down and picked up a large, odd-looking camera and motioned for Harry, who had been hanging back by the chairs, to come over to her. "Now, you'll both remember this part – it's always exciting to get the first glimpse of your child. So, I just need to take a picture of your stomach with this camera, Ginny, and we can develop it right here so you both can see the baby." She placed the camera right in front of Ginny's stomach and took two shots from different angles. As she walked over to the developing potion in the corner, she called over her shoulder, "Now, please decide if you want to know the gender of the baby or not, because I can tell you once we develop the picture."

"I don't want to know!" Ginny said to Harry right away. "We found out for the other three, let's keep this one a surprise."

"Whatever you want to do, dear," Harry said. "I'm happy either way."

"Oh, you're such a wonderful husband Harry," Ginny said, grabbing his hand again. "Are you sure you don't mind? You've never loved surprises."

"Ginny, if it's what you want to do, then it's fine with me," Harry said. They both sat back down and looked over to the corner, where Healer Bones was almost finished developing the pictures. Ginny leaned into Harry, and he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"I can't wait to see our baby," Harry whispered to his wife. "I love him or her so much already." Healer Bones began to walk towards them with the pictures.

"Now, they're still drying so-" Suddenly, she looked down at the pictures, and gasped. "Well, isn't this a surprise!"

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger guys! Next chapter should be up within the week though. I hope you enjoyed this one - please leave me any feedback, thoughts, or ideas in a review; I might use what you suggest! Also, if you go to my profile, there is a poll up about what gender you think the baby should be (boy, girl, twin boys, twin girls, mixed twins), so please vote if you are interested! Thanks again for reading! -Lily**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I cannot believe I haven't updated in almost a month! We've been away and there's been a bit of a crisis where I'm at, but it's no excuse. However, I've been writing on with this chapter and it's finally done – my longest one yet to make up for the wait. Thanks to anthony37, Xterker23, AccioSeeker7825, Pink Mockingjay in Hufflepuff, nicsav, GetMoMoney-333, ActingPickle09, TheUnforgiven135, DaddysPrincess-Girl, Rori Potter, Loves to read books, cdblange, and Guest for reviewing the last chapter – 13 reviews made my day! Also, thanks to everyone who added the story to their favorites and alerts. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

_Previously: _

_They both sat back down and looked over to the corner, where Healer Bones was almost finished developing the pictures. Ginny leaned into Harry, and he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead._

_"I can't wait to see our baby," Harry whispered to his wife. "I love him or her so much already." Healer Bones began to walk towards them with the pictures._

_"Now, they're still drying so-" Suddenly, she looked down at the pictures, and gasped. "Well, isn't this a surprise!"_

"What?" Ginny asked, looking a little bit nervous. "What's going on?"

"Well," Healer Bones said, glancing down at the picture with a sly smile on her face "It seems we have our first ever set of wizarding quintuplets!" Harry and Ginny looked at each other in shock.

"Q-q-quintuplets?" Harry asked, a dazed look on his face. He looked over to Ginny and saw his own expression mirrored in her eyes.

"I feel faint," Ginny whispered, leaning back in her chair. "I feel _faint_! This can't be happening."

"How…how can we be having _five_ babies? Is this a joke?" Harry asked, looking to Healer Bones for confirmation. It was then that he noticed the sheer mirth in her face, and saw her silent laughter. "Oh thank Merlin, it _is _a joke! Bollocks, you scared us so much! Bloody hell, I've never been so shocked in my life!"

"I'm s-s-so s-s-s-sorry," Healer Bones said, beginning to laugh hysterically. "I'm s-s-s-sorry! But Merlin, you should have seen the looks on your faces! I have n-n-never seen anyone so terrified in all my years as a maternity healer!"

"It was all a _joke_? You were playing a _joke_ on us?" Ginny asked furiously, standing up and attempting to walk toward Healer Bones as Harry grabbed her robes and pulled her back down to her seat. "How could you _do_ that? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm so sorry, Ginny," Healer Bones said, trying to compose herself. "I was just trying to loosen you up so you wouldn't be quite so shocked at the real surprise."

"And what might that be?" Ginny asked, sitting down in a huff, still annoyed by the prank.

"Well, in about seven months you two will be the proud parents of twins!" Healer Bones exclaimed, holding up the picture and waving it around.

"Twins?" Harry asked, still looking shocked. "_Two_ babies at the same time? We're having twins?"

"Yes, Harry, Ginny is pregnant with twins," the Healer said, laughing again at the expression on his face.

"I can't believe it," Ginny whispered, looking amazed. Harry looked over at her with concern as she sunk back into her chair, placing both hands on her belly. "So _that's_ why I'm showing already!"

"Are you upset?" Harry asked Ginny nervously. "I mean, I know you were a little apprehensive before…"

"No, I'm not at all upset!" Ginny exclaimed. "This just puts all my fears to rest! Of course, twins will be hard to deal with and a lot of work – especially if they're anything like Fred and George – but they'll have each other as playmates growing up. They won't be alone!"

"So you're not upset? Not at all?" Harry asked, surprised but excited at his wife's change of heart.

"No, Harry, I'm not upset," Ginny laughed. "But I am ready to see our babies." She looked expectantly at Healer Bones, who had been hanging off to the side during their conversation. She handed the picture to Harry, who leaned in close to his wife to share it.

"So, these are your babies," the Healer said, pointing them out in the picture. "Here's Baby A – there's the head and the feet – and here's Baby B – see, the head is right up here, and the feet are here." Harry and Ginny stared at the picture, the sheer joy evident on their faces.

"Those are our babies," Ginny whispered, reaching out one finger to touch the little forms moving about in the picture. "We're going to have new babies." Harry pulled her in for another gentle kiss, admiring her radiant smile and how she already seemed to glow.

"I know. We're going to have new babies. I love you, Gin. And the kids too. I love our family so much," Harry said. "And now it's really going to be complete." Both of them began to get choked up as they continued to take in the picture, thinking about the new little people who would soon be coming into the world.

"Thank you, Healer Bones," Harry said, at last looking up from the picture of his children. "Now, do we need to get to anything else today?"

"Well, yes, we just need to confirm how far along Ginny is and what the babies' due date would be – by the picture I would estimate that Ginny is around nine weeks. Now, we just need to figure out the due date…" Healer Bones stooped down and waved her wand around Ginny's midsection once again, muttering an incantation under her breath. The numbers "1/5/2020" began to flash purple in front of Ginny's middle. "Okay, so the babies' due date is May 1st of next year! Congratulations!"

"Looks like these ones are birthday babies," Harry whispered to his wife. Ginny laughed, remembering the night of her husband's 39th birthday and the fun they had had.

"Harry!" she whisper-shouted in mock indignation, slapping his shoulder lightly. "The Healer doesn't need to know about our personal life!"

"Sorry dear," Harry said, smiling at her. "But I guess we just need to be more careful on holidays!"

"All right, now we have a couple more things to get to, just some papers and such," Healer Bones began, breaking up their little conversation with a brisk clap.

"Well, I suppose we should get started then," Ginny said gamely as Healer Bones handed her a huge roll of parchment and a quill. "But I think this should be your job, Harry." He laughed as she handed him the parchment, and he began to scribble answers as Healer Bones fired off medical inquiries and began lecturing about what to expect from a twins pregnancy. Ginny sat back in her chair, half-listening but mostly dreaming about their babies. _How can our lives change so much in just one short week? I still can't believe it. But whatever happens, I'm excited. And I can't wait to meet you, my beautiful babies, _she thought to herself, placing a hand on her middle and smiling down at her children.

*3 Weeks Later*

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked from their bedroom. "Harry! Where are you?" Her husband came running in not five seconds later, glasses askew and out of breath, with his wand held menacingly in front of him.

"What is it? Are you hurt? Who did it? Where are they? What should I –" Harry trailed off suddenly, noticing that everything looked fine save for the heartbroken look on his wife's face. "What is it, Gin? I don't see anything. Are you alright?"

"No, Harry, I'm not alright! I can't…I can't button my trousers!" Ginny wailed, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling off the offending pants, looking at them with deepest hatred. "And they're my favorite trousers! Bloody hell, I'm getting so FAT!"

"Ginny, darling, you're not fat," Harry said, stifling his laughter as he went to sit by his wife. "You're having twins!"

"Of course I am, you prat," Ginny said as she pushed Harry away. "And it's your bloody fault I'm getting fat! Look at my stomach! Everyone probably knows I'm pregnant already!"

"Ginny, I'm sure no one knows. Besides, it's nothing to get so worked up about. You can just go and buy some new trousers. I mean, you knew this would happen eventually!" Harry said, trying to calm down his hormonal wife and failing miserably. Ginny was deadly quiet for a moment, as Harry realized his mistake and tried to backpedal. But just seconds later, she exploded, face coloring as she began to scream.

"You are unbelievable! You think I can 'just go out and buy some new trousers' and that's going to fix the whole problem? How can you not _understand_ what I'm going through? I am pregnant with twins! In seven bloody months, I am going to have to push _two_ babies out of me. Two! Two human beings are going to push their way through my body at the same time. Can you get that through your thick head, Harry? And I'm going to get hugely fat. I'm going to have babies kicking me in the ribs 24/7. I'm never going to sleep comfortably again! And I'm barely 3 months pregnant and my trousers don't even fit me anymore! Are you so insensitive that you can't even sympathize with me when you can see that I'm upset?" Ginny spat, getting up from the bed and stalking away from her husband. As a parting note, she added, "Merlin, sometimes I wish I could just hex you!" And with that, she left the room, stomping down the stairs and leaving Harry to wonder about what had just happened.

"Oh, hormones. Merlin, how I hate you," Harry muttered as he rose from the bed to go apologize to his wife. He found her down in the kitchen, standing at the counter and menacingly biting a sweet. "Ginny," he began carefully. "I'm sorry I didn't sympathize with you. I understand what you're going through now."

"Oh, shove off, you prat. We both know you're just saying that. But it's okay, I forgive you anyways!" Ginny said, striding across the kitchen and pulling Harry in for a hug. "Now, get ready, we have to be at Mum and Dad's in an hour!" With that, she skipped out of the kitchen, singing under her breath. _These mood swings are going to drive me batty,_ Harry thought as he dutifully followed his wife upstairs.

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One hour and a slight wardrobe malfunction later, Harry and Ginny were ready to leave, with Ginny decked out in a long skirt and flowy top designed to hide her small bump. They arrived in the Burrow fireplace right on time, as the rest of the family began trickling in for the party. Mrs. Weasley, ever the gracious host, stood in the center of the living room to welcome the travelers. "Harry! Ginny!" she cried as she spotted them, bustling over to hug each in turn. "It's so good to see you, dears. And I'm so excited for tonight," she added under her breath, smiling conspiratorially.

"Now Mum," Ginny said in a reproving tone. "You have to remember to keep quiet until Harry and I make the announcement. You can't steal our surprise again, even though you're excited!"

"Don't worry about a thing, darling. I'll keep it all under wraps. And I'll make sure your father does too," Molly said with a wave of her hand. "Now, go into the kitchen and have some crisps or something. You're too thin, both of you!" Harry and Ginny obliged, greeting family members on their way. They spent two happy hours mingling with their brothers and sisters (and in-laws), and having long-overdue chats. Ginny managed to stuff her face full of every appetizer possible, trumping Ron at an eating contest and putting together such nauseating concoctions as miniature meat pies with crisps and clam dip. Some of the more cunning females began to suspect that there was an ulterior motive for the family dinner party. Finally, at six o'clock, Molly rang the dinner bell and the whole clan gathered in the dining room to enjoy the meal. The table was spread with a tantalizing array of dishes, from steaks to puddings. Ron was the first to fill his plate, exclaiming happily, "Oh, how I've missed your cooking, Mum!" and earning a slap from Hermione. Dinner was a jovial affair as everyone ate more than their fair share of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful food.

"This is all so delicious!" Ginny exclaimed to Harry, filling her plate for the third time.

"Gin, how can you still be hungry after all those appetizers?" Harry exclaimed wondrously. "I think you've eaten more than Ron and I put together!"

"Don't forget, I'm eating for three now," Ginny whispered in his ear. He laughed and clasped her hand under the table.

"Ginny, don't you miss the kids? They've barely been at Hogwarts for two months and I'm dying to see Rose and Hugo already," said Hermione from Ginny's other side, pulling her attention away from Harry and the food. "I'm too young to be an empty nester already! Sometimes I just think we should have another baby. Then we would be even with you and Harry!" Ginny choked on her food, a look of shock on her face. Harry slapped her on the back, looking worried. "What's wrong, Ginny? I just meant that we would have three kids as well!" Hermione added, surprised at the Potters' reactions.

"Oh, nothing, Hermione. I just can't see you having another baby, that's all. You've just gotten your house neat again – you've said it yourself!" Ginny said, laughing slightly and thanking Merlin that the surprise was safe.

"That is true!" Hermione said with a giggle. "Although with Ron around, I don't think it's going to stay that way for long!" Ginny laughed with her, looking fondly at her older brother. As the family finished eating, Molly and Angelina began to clear the table and bring in dessert. As Ron started to reach for one of the cakes, Harry tapped his spoon gently against the side of his glass. Grabbing Ginny's hand, the two stood up as their family looked at them in surprise.

"Before we begin with dessert, Ginny and I have an announcement to make," Harry began. But before he could finish, Molly jumped to her feet and shouted wildly, "THEY'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!" The whole table erupted into hysterics, with Hermione shouting "I knew it! I knew it!", Ron yelling at Harry about "knocking up my baby sister again", and the whole family congratulating the couple. Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry. "Well, I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks," she said as Molly looked at them sheepishly and sat back down.

"But they don't know the real surprise yet," Harry said. "Should we tell them now?"

"Well, then we would at least have one announcement to ourselves," Ginny said. She banged on the side of her glass forcefully. When that didn't work, she shouted, "Oi! Family! Pregnant lady trying to make an announcement here!" They all stopped chattering and looked up to where Harry and Ginny were still standing. "As Harry was going to say before he was _interrupted_ by someone," Ginny began with a pointed look at her mother, "I am pregnant. But that's not all. Come May 1st, we are going to be the proud parents of twins!" At that shocker, Molly burst into tears and rushed around the table to hug Harry and Ginny. Everyone began to congratulate them anew, as all the women began to hug Ginny as well and the men shook Harry's hands, with cries of "Congrats, mate!". Ginny just looked around at her beautiful family and smiled, placing both hands on her tummy. _Welcome to the family, babies,_ she thought. _You are already so loved._

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please leave me a review – you can give me feedback, offer baby name suggestions, or ideas for what you want to see in the story. I may use what you suggest! Also, if I'm getting anything wrong about pregnancy, don't hesitate to tell me. Most of it comes from research and not firsthand. And don't forget, you can still vote in the poll on my profile page for the genders! Hope to update again within a week – I never seem to stick to these deadlines but I'll give it a shot! Thanks again for reading! –Lily **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: First a month between updates, and then two days! I really need to get on a schedule. This chapter is way longer than any of my other ones, so I hope you all enjoy it! Nine reviews last chapter – thanks to Loves to read books, sbmcneil, Cartman1701, cdblange, violetrose, Stromsten, GetMoMoney-333, Irihi Keiko, and orbitystarlight for giving me your feedback. Also, thanks to all the new people who added it to their favorites and alerts. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and remember to review!**

**Disclaimer: I'm flattered if you think I'm J.K. Rowling, but it's not true. I own nothing except the plot. **

Lying in bed later that night, Ginny was thinking not only about her new babies but the ones that were already almost grown.

"Harry?" she whispered. "Are you awake?" He rolled over to face her, mumbling a groggy "yes" and beginning to sit up.

"What d'you need, Ginny? Another midnight craving?" he asked teasingly, smiling blearily at her.

"No," she answered. "I was thinking about our kids. Not the babies – I mean James, Al, and Lily. We haven't even told them about the twins yet. I'm such a bad mother! They're going to hate me for this! And now the whole family knows before the babies' own siblings. It just doesn't seem right that it's been a month since we found out and we haven't told them a thing."

"Gin, darling, you're the absolute farthest thing from a bad mother. But I've been thinking about them too, and we really have to tell them as soon as possible. I feel like it should be in person, but if we wait until the Christmas holidays they'll be able to tell just by looking at you. And then they would be hurt because we hadn't told them yet. I think the best option is to just go to Hogwarts, if McGonagall will allow it. Maybe we can just ask for a favor?" Harry offered, trying to brainstorm ideas.

"Well, that's a good idea, if it works out. But would it scar them for life if their old parents showed up at school with all their friends? I don't want to embarrass them!" Ginny said.

"Maybe it would be embarrassing. We could arrange to have them come home for a weekend – but then they might suspect that something's up, and they might be too busy. I'm not sure what the best option is…" Harry said, trailing off. Suddenly, Ginny sat up straight.

"I know what we should do!" she exclaimed. "We can arrange to have them meet us in Hogsmeade next weekend. We'll take them to the Three Broomsticks and tell them there."

"Oh, great idea, Gin!" Harry said. "And if necessary, we can always buy them off with things from Honeyduke's and Zonko's!" He laughed, but quickly tacked on "Although I'm sure we won't have to. They'll be thrilled!" when he saw Ginny's face.

"Alright. I'll owl McGonagall in the morning," Ginny said, laying back down and curling up in Harry's arms. "I just hope she agrees."

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"Harry! Harry!" Ginny called several days later as she untied a piece of parchment from the leg of a large tawny owl. "We've got a note back from McGonagall." He came rushing in a few moments later.

"Well? What does it say?" he asked. "Did she agree?"

"Calm down, dear, I haven't even looked at it yet," Ginny said, unfurling the paper. "Alright, I'll read it aloud. 'Dear Harry and Ginevra, Congratulations on your good news! I am very happy for you, but, as per your request, did not share the news with any of my colleagues or students. Of course I would not object to your taking James, Albus, and Lily to dinner in Hogsmeade this coming weekend. I firmly agree that you absolutely must tell them the news in person. I only ask that you have them out no later than 9:30, per school policy, as they do have their studies to attend to (I am sure you are aware of this, of course). I will let them know you are coming to see them, and will have them ready for you at two p.m. precisely on Saturday afternoon. I'm sure they will look forward to seeing you, and, as always, don't hesitate to stop in for a moment and say hello. Until Saturday, Minerva McGonagall'. Oh, good! I'm so excited to see them!" she exclaimed after reading the letter.

"Me too, Gin. The house feels so empty when they're not here," Harry said.

"Not for long!" Ginny exclaimed mischievously. "But I do miss them dreadfully whenever they're away. I can't believe they're all old enough for Hogwarts now! I only hope they won't hate us for not telling them yet."

"Gin, you're just barely over three months pregnant. If you were six months gone, they might have a cause for anger!" Harry joked.

"Well, I'm just not sure if it was right for us to tell the extended family before the siblings, but what's done is done now, and I'm sure they'll be excited. At least Lily will!" Ginny said.

"Oh, Lily'll be thrilled. And I think the boys will be happy too, although if we end up with two girls they might not be quite so excited," Harry said. "And if we end up with two boys, the house had better look out because I'm not sure it can escape being demolished this time around!"

"Two boys like Fred and George would be terrifying," Ginny agreed. "But I would love them just the same. Although I think I dealt with enough pranks as a child to last me a lifetime!"

"That is true. Although I doubt our children would be wild enough to dye their own mother's hair bright blue. You'll have a little more control over them than you did over Fred and George," Harry laughed, picturing his wife jumping out of the shower with her normally fiery red hair a neon blue.

"Any hair dying at all will result in a yearlong grounding," Ginny remarked as she strode into the kitchen to fix herself a lunch of rocky road ice cream.

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"Mum! Dad!" Lily Luna Potter shouted, sprinting across the Hogwarts grounds (closely followed by her older brothers) and jumping into her father's arms. Harry hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

"How are you, sweetheart? Mum and I have really missed you!" Harry said, setting his daughter back down and stroking her hair. "It's wonderful to see you again. And you too boys!" He pulled his sons into a hug, exchanging with Ginny who grabbed Lily in a tight embrace.

"Oh, my babies," Ginny said. "I've missed you so much!" She pulled James and Albus back to her and held them tightly, kissing each in turn. Harry noticed happy tears coursing down her cheeks as she hugged her children. As they pulled away from the hug, James also noticed his mother crying.

"Mum! Why are you crying?" he asked. "It's only been two months since we left and we write you weekly!" Harry and Ginny exchanged smiles at James' indignant expression.

"But I miss my babies when you're all away!" Ginny said, trying to pull James back into her huddle.

"Mum! No need to get all sappy!" James said. "It's good to see you too. Now can we just head to Hogsmeade? I want to show Dad all the new stuff at Zonko's."

"And I want to _see_ Zonko's! It's so unfair that Al and James get to go to Hogsmeade and I don't," Lily complained. "I want to see _everything_ today! That way I can tell all my friends about it! Hugo and Chelsea will be so jealous!"

"And I want to go to the Shrieking Shack, Dad," Albus said. "You promised one day you would tell us the true story of it!"

"Well, Al, I'm not sure if that's going to be today. It would have to be a secret from all your friends," Harry said.

"Yeah, Al, and we all know how you are with secrets," James laughed.

"Hey! I can so keep a secret!" Albus cried indignantly.

"Oh really? I don't think you've ever kept a secret for more than an hour in your entire life!" James returned.

"Alright boys, no fighting today," Harry said as Albus started to retort. "Just enjoy yourselves! Your mother and I want this to be a special day."

"Okay, Dad. But why are you guys here anyways? Not that I don't want to see you, but this is sort of weird," James said.

"Oh, I just missed you, so we got a favor from the Headmistress," Ginny said. "Come on, you know you missed us too! And now we have all afternoon to spend together." The family joined hands – with James rushing slightly ahead – and walked to the village together chatting about everything and nothing.

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Four hours later, they walked into the Three Broomsticks with windblown hair, ruddy cheeks – and bulging pockets.

"Really, Harry, you spoil these children," Ginny said, looking around at the bags of merchandise from Zonko's, Honeyduke's, and everywhere in between.

"Hey, we're not going to see them until Christmas! I have to get it in now! Besides, they paid for some of it," Harry said defensively.

"Yeah, maybe one percent," Ginny said, laughing.

"I was buying them off," Harry whispered in her ear as the children rushed ahead of them to the table. "Just in case! But I know it's not going to be necessary."

"Well if you're so sure, then why did you buy them so much? I think they'll be able to supply all of Gryffindor with sweets from the amount you bought them!" Ginny exclaimed. "But I guess it can't hurt to spoil them a little." Harry and Ginny joined the kids at the table as they fought each other for the booth. Ginny placed an order for five Butterbeers and more food than even ten people could possibly finish. As James, Albus, and Lily regaled their parents with tales of Hogwarts life, Ginny leaned back in her chair and began to think about the upcoming reveal. _Well, this is it, sweeties! Your big brothers and sister are finally going to know about you. I'm sure they'll be thrilled. At least, I hope they will be. I know they'll be good siblings regardless. They're going to love you. I just hope they will still love me._ She was jostled out of her daydream moments later by the arrival of the heaping plates of food.

"Merlin's beard, Ginny! How much food did you get?" Harry asked, looking incredulously at the plates before him.

"They're growing children!" she said defensively. "They need filling up!" She promptly filled her own plate with heaping portions of each dish.

"Mum! How are you going to eat all of that?" Lily asked. "I've never seen you eat nearly that much!"

"Oh, Mummy's just hungry today," Ginny said. "Go on, you all take some too! I know it can't compare to Hogwarts food, but it's still very good." The rest of the family filled their plates as well, and for several minutes the table was quiet save for the scraping of silverware against plates. Finally, Harry and the children finished their meals and Ginny finished her second portions.

"Alright, well, are we heading back out?" Albus asked, starting to stand up. "I still want – "

"Just wait a moment," Harry said. "Your mum and I have something to discuss with you."

"Ha! I knew there was a real reason you were here today," James said. "But I was happy to see you anyway so it didn't really matter!" he added hastily as Ginny shot him a sharp look.

"What is it mum?" Lily asked. "What's going on?"

"Well…" Ginny began. "Well...Well…Oh, Merlin, I'm feeling sick! I'm just going to run to the loo for a moment. You stay here kids, and then we'll talk when I get back." She jumped up from the seat and practically ran to the back of the Three Broomsticks, tacking on a panicked "Harry! I need you!" as she sped away.

"Alright, I'll go see what's up with Mum," Harry told his confused children. "Just wait here – don't leave, don't go anywhere – and we'll be back as soon as possible. I'm sure it's just from all that food she had." And then he sped off too, leaving the children to wonder about what was going to be revealed when their mother came back.

Meanwhile, Harry arrived at the loo to find Ginny retching over the toilet. "Ginny? Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Oh, yes, this is just morning sickness. It's 24/7 for me now. I really just needed to talk to you alone," Ginny said as she stood up and rinsed out her mouth. "Harry, I don't know how to tell them. They're going to think we're replacing them because they're at school! I don't want them to hate me – or the twins! And we can't tell them that the babies were a surprise, because I never want these children to know that they were unplanned. I just don't know what to say, or what to do…" she trailed off, looking to Harry for his advice.

"Well, I would just tell them that we love them very much, but we felt like our family wasn't quite complete yet. And then you tell them about the twins. We can base what happens next on their reactions. But you know what, I think they'll be happy. I really do. And if they're not, well, they have six months to get used to it!" Harry joked. "Now come on, they'll be wondering where we are." He grabbed Ginny's hand and they walked back to the table together.

"Feeling better, Mum?" Albus asked with concern as Ginny slid back into her seat.

"Yes, much better Al, thank you," Ginny answered.

"So what was that thing you were going to tell us, Mum?" James asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"Well, you all know we love you very, very much, right?" Ginny asked, looking at them each in turn.

"Of course we know that Mum!" Lily said. "We love you and Daddy a lot too!"

"I know you do, Lil," Ginny said. "So we love you very much, but there's always room in our hearts for more love. And for a while now, Daddy and I have been feeling like our family is not quite complete yet. So, we decided to have another baby, and we ended up with two! You children are going to have two new siblings in about six months."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Your mother is pregnant with twins! They're due on May 1st!" Harry said, beaming at his children, who were in various states of shock. James' mouth was hanging open as he stared at his mother. Albus mirrored his brother's expression. Lily, however, looked positively thrilled as she jumped up to hug her mother.

"You're really having new babies?" Lily asked wondrously as she gave both Mum and Dad a hug. "I can't believe it! This is so so so exciting! I hope it's two girls! I can dress them up and play dolls with them and we can be best friends! I can't wait to tell all my friends that my mummy is having twins! This is so exciting!" She began jumping up and down rapturously as Harry and Ginny looked on happily.

"Well, that's one down," Harry whispered to Ginny. Then, in a louder voice, he added, "So, what do you think, boys? Excited for the new twins?"

"Why are you having new babies?" James asked slowly, looking a bit annoyed. "I thought Lily was the last one! Why do we need to have twins now? Five kids is just too much, Mum. Are you replacing us because we're at Hogwarts now? You know, we still love you even though we're not home all the time." Ginny looked positively heartbroken as James continued to speak.

"James! Stop!" Harry said after a moment. "Of course we're not replacing you! We miss you, but that doesn't mean we would have more children just to fill the void. No one can ever replace any of you! You are each so special and unique in your own way. But the twins will be special too. We just felt like we needed one more baby to complete the family. And two is such a blessing as well. Please, try to see it our way."

"I still don't understand why. But I guess I'll have to get used to it," James said. "Can we just go? I want to go back to Hogwarts now."

"But James! It's only eight thirty. We still have an hour to spend with Mummy and Daddy! And I want to talk about the babies more! Aren't you excited?" Lily asked her older brother, still bouncing.

"Not really, Lil. You and Al can stay here with Mum and Dad. I'm going back to school," James said, slamming the door open and walking out of the restaurant.

"I'll go after him," Harry said quickly, following his son into the night. Ginny began to cry silently, shoulders shaking.

"Don't cry, Mum," Albus said, scooting over to hug her. "James is being a git. I'm excited for the babies. The more, the merrier! And I know you aren't replacing us. At least, I hope you aren't."

"Of course I'm not, Al!" Ginny said. "I love each of you so, so much. And I'm so happy you and Lily are excited. I just wish James was too." She pulled Albus and Lily to her, hugging them tightly again.

"Can I feel the babies, Mummy?" Lily asked. "Have you felt them kick yet?"

"I haven't really felt them yet, Lily, but you can try! Just put your hand right here…" Ginny, Albus, and Lily continued to laugh and chat in the warm interior of the Three Broomsticks, as Harry chased James through the blustery night.

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"James! James!" Harry shouted as he followed his son down the main street of Hogsmeade. "Slow down! Wait!" At last Harry broke into a run as he found his son ignoring his cries. Finally, he caught up to James near Zonko's joke shop.

"Just let me go, Dad," James said. "I'm just going back to school."

"NO, James! We need to talk first! Did you see how much you upset your mother? Why did you have to say those things?" Harry asked, grabbing his son's shoulder.

"Because they were the TRUTH, Dad! Why is she having another baby? Let alone twins! I mean, I'm fourteen years old. Al is thirteen, Lily's eleven. We're not even going to know these babies! What was I supposed to think about them? I know you're replacing us because we're away! And I don't like it! You're never going to spend any time with us anymore. The babies will take up all your attention! And they'll only be three years old when I'm of age. None of my friends have siblings that young! It's not fair! You've ruined my life! I'll come home on holidays, and I won't even be able to talk to you. There'll be two babies keeping me up all night! I may as well just move in with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione," James said, trying to pull away from his father.

"James, I promise that won't happen. I know the babies will take a lot of our attention at first, but there will always be room for you too. No one can ever replace you, James. I swear. You're so special to us. And to prove it, I brought something for you," Harry said, pulling a folded piece of parchment out of his cloak.

"Oh, an old piece of paper. Big deal!" James said, pushing his father's arm away.

"This isn't just any old piece of paper," Harry said, unfolding it. He tapped it once with his wand, saying "I solemnly swear I am up to no good". A map of Hogwarts appeared, with small labeled dots moving all around it. In spite of himself, James leaned in, intrigued.

"Whoa! What is that, Dad?" he asked with excitement.

"This is a map of Hogwarts – but it's not just any map. It was made by your two namesakes – Grandpa and Uncle Sirius, as well as Uncle Remus and Wormtail – to assist them in their mischief making. I used it during my time in Hogwarts, and now I want you to have it. It's called the Marauder's Map, and it is a prized possession of mine. Use it wisely, use it well, and remember that you're my special son. My firstborn. And you can never be replaced by anyone," Harry said, pulling James in for a hug.

"Are you sure that's true?" James asked, voice cracking.

"I'm sure, James," Harry answered, holding his son even more tightly. "I'm sure."

"Thanks, Dad," James said softly. After a moment, they pulled apart and walked back to the Three Broomsticks together. When they walked in the door, James immediately ran to Ginny and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry, Mum! I'm excited about the babies! I really am. And I want to congratulate you and Dad. I'm happy for you both now, and I'm excited for them," James said.

"Oh, I'm so happy, Jamie," Ginny said, kissing him on the forehead. "I promise, no one can ever replace you."

"I know, Mum," James said. "Dad sort of helped me to understand."

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny said, giving her husband a quick kiss.

"It was no problem at all, Gin," Harry said, grabbing her hand. "But it's nine o'clock. Much as I don't want to, I think it's time to take these kids back to school."

"But Daddy!" Lily cried. "I want to talk to you and Mum some more! Is it really time to go back?"

"It really is, sweetheart. But don't worry, Mum and I will write to all of you often to tell you what's going on with the babies. And we'll see you in less than two months for the Christmas holidays!" Harry said, taking Lily's hand and leading his family out of the restaurant. They chatted the whole way back to the castle, full of plans and excitement about the new babies. At precisely nine thirty they arrived back at Hogwarts to deliver the children to Headmistress McGonagall – but not before several tearful goodbyes.

"Come here, all of you," Ginny said, crying once more as she gathered her children about her. "Give your old mum a big hug. I'm going to miss you so much!"

"We'll miss you too, Mum," James said, pulling away and giving Harry a quick hug as well. "But I've got to be going. Andrew and Finn are waiting for me – we've got business to attend to! Good luck with everything! I'll write you!" And with that, James was gone, sprinting into the castle and up the stairs.

"Yeah, I've got to go too, Mum. Can I tell Rose and Scorpius about the babies? They'll be so excited, especially Rose!" Albus said with a hopeful look at his mother.

"Yes, you can tell them, but try to have them keep it quiet," Ginny said, kissing her son on the forehead one last time before he bounded after his brother.

"Thanks Mum! Bye Dad! I'll remember to write to you too!" he called over his shoulder.

"Come here, sweetheart," Harry said to Lily after Albus was out of sight. He gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly. "I'll miss you, baby."

"I'll miss you too, Daddy. Remember to write me! I want to hear everything about the babies! I wish I could have felt them kick," she said wistfully, feeling her mum's belly one more time. She squatted down until she was at eye level with the babies, and then said "I'm your big sister Lily, babies. I can't wait to meet you! I have to go for now, but next time I see you, I hope you'll kick for me! I love you both so much! And please be girls. We already have two brothers!" Harry and Ginny smiled at each other over her head, and Ginny began to cry again.

"Lily, darling, you're going to be a wonderful big sister," Ginny said, giving her one last hug. "I'll write to you every week – or more, if you like – and tell you all about the babies. But it's time to go now." She pushed Lily away gently, and pointed her towards the castle.

"Alright," Lily said. "I'll see you soon!"

"See you at Christmas, sweetie," Harry said, pulling Ginny closer to him as Lily walked towards the big doors. "Remember to work hard and do well! We love you very much!"

"I love you too! Goodbye! Goodbye, babies!" Lily said, waving back at them as she shut the big doors. Ginny broke down then, crying quietly.

"Gin, darling, don't cry," Harry said. "We'll see them soon enough."

"I know," Ginny said. "I just love them so much. And I'm so happy they all accepted the babies. I'm so excited now. It's going to be great!"

"Of course it is! Our family is going to be perfect," Harry said, putting an arm around his wife as they walked off the grounds and headed for home.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review – I desperately need baby name suggestions and whether or not you think I should name them after people. You can also leave ideas for what you want to see next, feedback, constructive criticism, anything – and let me know if I'm getting anything wrong about pregnancy! I want this to be as accurate as possible. And you can still vote for the genders on my profile page. Thanks again for reading, thanks in advance for reviewing, and hoping to update within a week! -Lily**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Oh my goodness, guys, I am so so so sorry about how long I've taken to update! My school started back up and I've been very busy, perpetually sick, and real life just had to come first for a while. But I'm back, and I hope you don't hate me for abandoning you! This chapter has been a long time in the making as I have just been working on it in bits and pieces for – has it been three months now? It may not be my best work but I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! A record twenty-three reviews last chapter – thanks so much to almightyswot, hptrump, anthony37, EmilyMoo23, GetMoMoney-333, McFly-Busted-fan, orbitystarlight, babybutterflyjam (x2!), TwilightSeekerHP, sparklesistah137, theGIRLwhoREADStooMUCH, xGriffleRavenSlythePuffx, horcruxesxlove, karebear9593, weaslette01, Guest, emma (x2!), other Guest, Me, Nicolette, and Abby for feedback and baby name suggestions. Also, thanks to everyone who added Magic Number Four (and me!) to their favorites and alerts. I get such a thrill when I see all these emails from FanFiction in my inbox! Hope everyone enjoys the new chapter (FINALLY!), and remember to review!**

"Babe, I'm home!" Ginny called, flinging her coat onto the stand and kicking off her wide 'pregnant lady' flats. "And I'm so done with this job! My boss is such a bloody moron. I can't stand it anymore!" She walked into the kitchen, shaking her hair out of its bun and looking around for her husband. She peered into the den and the laundry room, but didn't see a sign of him anywhere. "Harry? Where are you?" she called as she peeked into the living room.

"In here, love," Harry called from the upstairs dining room. "Come on up!" Ginny plodded up the stairs, thinking to herself, _What in Merlin's name is he doing up here? We never use our dining room!_ Reaching the end of the hall, Ginny pushed open the door and turned into the dining room, gasping at the sight before her. Harry, decked out in emerald-colored dress robes, stood next to the oak dining room table, holding a bouquet of red roses and smiling brightly. The room was lit softly with candelabras and the table was decorated with more rose petals and set with their nicest china. All of Ginny's favorites were arranged enticingly on the plates, and classical music hummed softly in the background to complete the romantic scene. Ginny spun around slowly to take everything in, beaming at Harry.

"What is all this, Harry?" Ginny asked. "What did you do?"

"Well, love, I was thinking about the new babies and I realized that we've celebrated the news with everyone we love – except for each other. So I ordered up from your favorite French place and set up a romantic dinner for us! Do you like it?" he asked eagerly. Ginny walked up to him and gave him a slow kiss.

"I love it, Harry. You're so thoughtful! And you even remembered my rocky road ice cream," Ginny laughed, noticing a carton of ice cream chilling in a bucket of ice in place of the customary champagne.

"Can't forget that rocky road, now can we, Gin?" Harry laughed. Ginny had been craving rocky road ice cream with everything, and eating it at almost every meal. "Please, let me escort you to your seat, Madame."

"Why thank you, monsieur," Ginny laughed as Harry grasped her elbow and pulled her chair out for her. She sank into the cushion and smoothed her robes while Harry pushed the chair in. Producing a bottle of sparkling cider, he offered it to Ginny with a flourish.

"Some bubbly, love?" he asked, pouring a generous amount into her glass when she nodded. He walked around the table and sat in his own chair. "Now, let's dig in! We've got, um, some salad, and some, um, chicken, and this looks like….well….yes, I really just let the chef pick some food he thought you would like. Sorry, darling, you know I know nothing about French food."

"That doesn't matter, Harry! It all looks delicious – you spoil me so! Thank you so much for this, love," Ginny said, reaching across the table to take Harry's hand. He gave her fingers a squeeze and smiled.

"I love you so much, Ginny. And I _want_ to spoil you. That's my job! You're having our new babies – and I'm ever so excited about them," Harry said. At the fifteen-week mark, Ginny had begun to show quite a bit, though it wasn't as noticeable under her flowy work robes.

"And so am I, but right now, I'm just excited about this food!" Ginny picked up her fork and started on her salad. "Mmm, honey, this is so delicious." For several minutes the only sounds in the room were of forks clinking and the music still pulsing faintly.

"Well, that was wonderful, if I do say so myself," Harry said after a bit, leaning back in his chair contentedly.

"Now for dessert, yeah?" Ginny asked, eyeing the rocky road.

"Of course, love! Can't forget dessert! I bought some pound cake, and we can top it with a rocky road sundae," Harry said as he stood up and took out the chilled rocky road. He put two generous scoops on top of the already-plated cake. "This good, Gin?" he asked.

"Well, maybe just a tad more, Harry," she said. He added another scoop. "Maybe just one more…one more…one more…that looks great!" He drizzled chocolate syrup and whipped cream onto her six scoops of ice cream and placed it in front of her.

"Merlin, this is just heavenly," Ginny moaned as she took a bite of the dessert concoction. "Mmm, oh Merlin. You like that ice cream, don't you babies? Don't you like it?" she cooed, patting her stomach.

"Oh, I think they like the ice cream, Gin," Harry laughed as he ate his own sundae. "We should just name them Rocky and Road!"

"Oh, good point, darling, we do have to start thinking about names. Maybe we should break out the name book tonight!" Ginny said, referring to the "1,000 Names for Baby" book she had hopefully purchased during her first pregnancy. They had never actually used it, as it was important for Harry to honor his parents and other loved ones with their first three children's names.

"I don't know, Gin. There have to be other people we can name them after. Let's see, for boys there's Remus, Cedric, Neville, Alastor –"

"Excuse me, Harry? Did I just hear you suggest the name Alastor for my baby?" Ginny asked, looking indignant.

"Yeah, to honor Mad-Eye. He was a right fine chap, Gin. We could name a baby after him. Look at everything he did for the Order!" Harry said defensively.

"Harry, I am not naming my baby Alastor. We can at least _look_ at the book this time," Ginny argued.

"Of course we can look, Gin," Harry said. "Whatever you want to do."

"I'm going to go get it right now. You can clean up. Thanks so much for the dinner, love. It was wonderful," Ginny called as she walked down to the basement to retrieve the long-forgotten volume, packed away in a box with other baby things.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny found Harry in the kitchen washing dishes. "Harry! I finally found the book!" she said jubilantly. Harry turned around and chuckled in spite of himself at her appearance.

"That's great, love. You've got a bit of, erm, web in your hair though." He crossed to Ginny and plucked a large spider web out of her hair.

"Ugh, that's bloody disgusting," Ginny said. "Now I have to go take a shower. Meet me in bed in, say, half an hour."

"Sure, babe, that sounds –"Harry began.

"Yes, we have to start going through names as soon as possible!" Ginny called over her shoulder.

"Oh. Okay," Harry said, looking a bit deflated as he turned back to the dishes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

"Okay, well, I am all refreshed and ready to name some babies!" Ginny said, plopping down on the bed next to Harry. "Let's start with the A's shall we?"

"Gin, this is going to take forever. Remember, we have two copies of the book because Hermione bought you one and you bought yourself one, so I was thinking we could each look at them and write down our lists and then go through them together. And of course, the names don't have to be from the book. They can just be, you know, off the top of your head, or named after someone, or, you know…" Harry paused and smiled hopefully at Ginny.

"Harry, I loved Mad-Eye just as much as anyone else, but I am not naming my baby Alastor. Period," Ginny said. "Here's a quill and some parchment. Open up your book and let's get started!" For nearly twenty minutes the couple remained quiet as they pored over the expansive books and jotted down choices. Finally, Ginny laid her quill down.

"I'm done, Harry. Are you almost finished?" she asked, trying to look over.

"Uh-uh, no peeking! I'm almost done. Just perusing the Z's to make sure I haven't missed anything," Harry said. A moment later, he too put down his quill. "All right, you ready, love? First, you read your list and we can pick some top choices, then I'll read mine. Then we can write a list both of us agree on. Sound good?"

"Great! All right, so for girls, I have Abigail, Alyce, Bonnie, Cassandra, Daisy, Diana, Emma, Isabelle, Ivy, Molly, Phoebe, Primrose, and Violet. I like the idea of doing another flower or plant name, to match Lily's name. We could even try to match the first letters again – like Ivy Isabelle or Daisy Diana. And Molly, of course, would just be for a middle name – Percy's already taken that one! What do you think, Harry?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"Some I love, Gin, but some are just…eh. Here, let me read you my girl's names. I've got Alyce, Anne, Aurora, Blossom, Dora, Elizabeth, Isabelle, Harriett, Lavender, Lilac, Muriel, Minerva, Nymphadora, Phoenix, and Violet. So, some of ours are actually the same! What do you think, love?" Harry asked.

"I can't believe you want to name our daughter after my Aunt Muriel, Harry! And Tonks always hated her real name! We can't use that! I don't know how in Merlin's name you came up with _Blossom_, and Minerva just isn't the name for our baby. Plus, I think it would be weird for a child to be named after their headmistress. And Phoenix is just too strange for me, love, and Lavender reminds me of Lavender Brown. Other than that, they're fine, and I really like Lilac," Ginny said. So now, let's make our list together. I'll write it down." She picked up a quill and took a fresh piece of parchment. "Okay, so…Girl Names. Let's see, we both had Alyce, Isabelle, and Violet. From your list, I'll take Anne, Aurora, Dora, Elizabeth, and Lilac. Which names do you like from mine?"

"Well, I don't like Emma, Bonnie, or Phoebe. You can add the rest of them," Harry said. Ginny jotted them down, then set the piece of paper aside.

"All right, now let's do boys!" Ginny exclaimed, picking up her book once more and beginning to scribble. Harry took up his quill and began to skim the book, jotting down names every so often. After almost half an hour Ginny laid her quill down.

"All right, Harry, I've gone through the whole book and cut my list to the top 12. Are you ready yet?" Ginny asked, again trying to peek over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm done Gin," Harry said, laughing at her eagerness. "D'you want to read yours first?"

"Sure!" Ginny exclaimed. "I have Aidan, Andrew, Arthur, Conrad, Daniel, Finnbarr, Gabriel, Matthew, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Remus, and Richard. I really looked at the meanings this time – Gabriel means strong, and Conrad and Richard both mean brave! I liked that for Gryffindor. And I thought we could use Remus for a middle name, to give Teddy the rights to use his father's name. What do you think?" she asked, looking at Harry expectantly.

"For the most part, I like them a lot! We even had some of the same ones. Here's my list – Alastor, Alexander, Barry, Cedric, Charles, Daniel, Fabian, Gideon, John, Neville, Remus, and William. What do you think of those, love?" Harry asked.

"Well, I already told you that Alastor's out, but I don't mind Cedric if we must name the baby after people. Naming them after my uncles is absolutely out of the question, but thank you for including my family. And I don't want to give a baby the same name as my brother. And about Neville – I was a little iffy on including "Luna" in Lily's name just because we still see her and we're still friends, and I feel the same about Neville. Also, just like with Minerva – it would be weird to be named after a professor. Other than that, I like the names! Now, let's make our big list," Ginny said. "I'll write." She took another fresh piece of parchment and added the heading "Boy Names", then looked to Harry to begin.

"All right, from your list I don't like Andrew, Gabriel, or Nathaniel. The rest are fine," Harry said. Ginny wrote her other names on the list.

"And from your list, I'll include Alexander, Barry, Cedric, Daniel, John, Remus, and William. So then…I suppose we're done! This is a good starting point for names. And don't forget, they might be two girls or two boys. So we have to be prepared for everything!" Ginny said, stowing the list in the upper drawer of her nightstand and closing her book. "Merlin, that took a while. I'm just going to snag one more tiny scoop of rocky road and then I'm off to bed!" She walked out of the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Harry stared at her as she walked away, red hair swinging behind her like a curtain and one hand resting loosely on her belly, and thought to himself, _I am the luckiest man in the world. _He pulled on his pajama pants and crawled under the covers, waiting for his wife to return. Ten minutes later, and with rocky road remnants still around her mouth, she came back and laid down next to him. Taking her hand, he pulled her closer and they both drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Two weeks later, Harry hurried home from work, racing against dark storm clouds. He crossed the threshold of his home just as the first fat droplets began to fall.

"Ginny, are you here? There's a big storm about to start outside! Is everything closed up?" Harry called. He didn't get an answer. "Gin? Are you here?" he asked again.

"Upstairs, Harry!" she called from the top floor. He began to climb the flights of stairs, finally reaching the third floor. He peeked into James' and Albus' rooms, and then noticed the door to one of their spare rooms was ajar. Pushing it open, he found a now noticeably pregnant Ginny standing in the middle of the floor surrounded by cans of paint, furniture catalogs, and fabric samples. He stopped in the doorway and gave Ginny a confused look.

"Um…Gin? What's going on in here?" Harry asked.

"I quit my job today!" she answered gleefully, a bright smile lighting up her freckled face. "And now I'm decorating a nursery for the babies!"

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You quit your job at the Prophet? But…why, Gin? What in Merlin's name happened?"

"My boss is such an arse, Harry! It was time for a change of pace. And I took years and years off from Quidditch when the other three were born. I want to be at home for these babies too. It's important that I'm here during the crucial first years of their development!" Ginny answered. "Now, for the walls I was thinking a baby blue or light yellow. Or maybe even a mural that matches a theme! Do you have an opinion?"

"Erm, Gin, didn't you think this was something you might want to discuss with me? You really just up and quit today?" Harry asked.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, love. I went into Greg's office to hand in my column for the week and tell him about the pregnancy so we could discuss maternity leave. When I told him, he completely went off on me! Screaming something like 'Merlin, Ginevra, when are you going to stop having all these bloody children!' and 'I hope you don't think you'll be getting months of paid leave for this, because that's not going to happen! You'll just have to write your bloody column at home.'. He was so rude to me, Harry. I just can't stand working in that environment anymore. It's terrible for my stress levels! I'll stay home and take care of my babies, and when they get older I'll go back to work somewhere else. You can certainly support us on your salary. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I was so angry, I just walked out," Ginny said.

"That's awful, Gin. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Harry said, finally crossing over the threshold and stepping over some paint cans to fold his wife into his arms.

"It's alright, Harry," Ginny said, leaning her head against his chest. "It just makes me question this, you know? It makes me question if everything's going to turn out all right. I feel like I've ruined our lives by having these babies."

"Ginny! Don't ever talk like that again!" Harry exclaimed. "This is one of the best things that has ever happened to us. I know it! And it takes two to tango, you know. I had a hand in making the babies too." Ginny giggled.

"I suppose you're right, Harry. I know we'll all be fine," Ginny said. "Now, about those paint colors. I really want your opinion! Hermione and I are going shopping next week to pick out furniture and bedding, and I want to match it to the walls, especially if we're doing a mural. "

"I was thinking we could do the walls and ceiling light blue, and then paint white clouds all over the room. Like a summer day," Harry said.

"Great idea, love! We could even do a rainbow over the window to add to the theme! And I'll have the carpet replaced – I think white would look nice with sky blue walls," Ginny said excitedly. "Oh, I've got to get down to planning!" She plunked down on the floor in the midst of her nest of decorating materials and began to flip excitedly through catalogs.

"Alright, I'm going to make some dinner. I'll see you in a bit, love!" Harry said, walking out of the room and down the stairs.

"Okay! Make sure it includes fried onions and rocky road!" Ginny called.

"Oh, I will, dear," Harry said, chuckling to himself as he headed into the kitchen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

"Mione!" Ginny exclaimed, rushing through the café to grab her sister-in-law in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Great to see you too, Gin! Merlin, you're getting big," Hermione said, patting Ginny's belly affectionately. "Almost halfway there! Soon these little ones will be out in the world." At eighteen weeks, Ginny's belly was decidedly noticeable under her Muggle maternity wear. She smiled brightly at Hermione's comment.

"I know! I can't wait! But there's still so much to do before then. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed," Ginny confided as she sat down across from Hermione.

"You've got plenty of time to do it all, Gin," Hermione said. "Have you and Harry decided on names yet?"'

"Well, we made a list about three weeks ago, but we haven't agreed on anything yet. We've done boy and girls names – Harry thinks they're going to be a mixed set, but I feel like I'm having girls. I'm carrying low like I was with Lily, and as you know, I've been craving my rocky road!" Ginny laughed. "But we have a big list so I know we'll agree on something. I want to do flower names for girls so they match with Lily, but I'm really not fussy on boy names. Harry, of course, wants another 'Albus Severus'. The other day he suggested the name Alastor Remus Neville Potter. I'm not even kidding here, Mione."

"Merlin, that man is a right nutter!" Hermione said. "But I know you'll set him straight. So, after lunch, what's the plan for today?"

"Well, there's this fancy baby store a couple of streets away. It has absolutely everything for babies – furniture, clothes, toys, books – and it's so chic! I've always wanted to go in, so I was thinking we'd start there," Ginny said, quickly tacking on, "If that sounds good to you."

"Sounds great! I love all this baby stuff," Hermione said. "I might have to have another just so I can buy tiny socks and jumpers again!"

"I know!" Ginny said. "You forget how adorable everything is when the kids are all grown up." A waitress arrived and placed a glass of water with lemon in front of each of them.

"Ready to order?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, erm, I will have the Cobb salad, low fat bleu cheese on the side please," Hermione said, closing the menu and handing it to the waitress.

"And I'll have…a bleu burger with fried onions, an order of curly fries, a house salad, and a slice of the New York cheesecake," Ginny added, also closing her menu. Hermione gave Ginny a quick look. "Hey! Don't judge! Eating for three here!"

"Congratulations!" said the waitress, hearing Ginny mention her pregnancy. "I'll be right out with your meals."

"So have you decided on a theme for the nursery yet?" Hermione asked as they sipped their waters.

"Well, we're putting the babies in the largest spare room – you know, the one on the 3rd floor near the boys' rooms?" Hermione nodded, and Ginny continued, saying "We decided on a sky theme. We're going to do light blue walls and paint the ceiling blue as well, and then sponge paint clouds all over the walls and paint a rainbow somewhere around the room. And I'm having the carpet replaced with white as well. So I think I want to do white furniture, and then sky themed accents – like rainbow mobiles or something. What do you think?"

"It sounds lovely, Gin. And perfectly gender neutral so it won't matter whether its boys, girls, or both! I'm so excited to start decorating!" Hermione said.

"Me too!" Ginny agreed. They laughed through their lunch, and an hour later headed out to the baby store.

"Is this it?" Hermione asked, staring up at a four-story brick building with the name 'Baby Nest' scrawled elegantly on a cream sign above the double doors.

"Yep. Huge, isn't it?" Ginny said, taking it in as well. "Ready to go in?" She pulled open the door, and they stepped into baby heaven. The walls were painted shades of pastel and the floor was plush carpeting. Mock nurseries were set up all over the store to give theme ideas and showcase the furniture on sale. All around, shelves were overflowing with baby toys, clothes, and books. A large room in the back was full of at least fifty different kinds of strollers.

"Merlin's Beard," Hermione breathed as she took in her surroundings.

"I know," Ginny said breathlessly. They turned to each other, and as one, cried, "It's PERFECT!" A smartly dressed saleswoman approached them and smiled brightly.

"Good afternoon," she said. "My name is Elizabeth. Can I help you with anything today?"

"Well," Ginny said. "My husband and I are expecting twins in early May, so we're decorating a nursery for them and I want to order the furniture and everything as early as possible. One less thing on my plate, to keep the stress down – you know how it is with a twins pregnancy!"

"Oh, yes, I have a set myself," the saleswoman said. "It's tough!"

"You have twins too?" Ginny asked excitedly. "Girls or boys?"

"Little boys," Elizabeth said. "They're almost five now. Growing up so fast!"

"I know how that goes," Ginny said. "I've got three older ones away at school. These were a little bit of a surprise! But I'm thrilled about it, really. I've got my sister-in-law here and we're ready to start decorating!"

"It's an exciting time," the saleswoman agreed. "Have you thought about what you want to do with the nursery yet?"

"My husband and I decided on a sky theme – white carpet, sky blue walls and ceiling, and sponge-painted clouds all over the room. And we're painting a rainbow mural with the babies names, once we figure them out. But as far as furniture, we're very open to anything. It's a large room, so we have lots of options."

"Any sort of price point you're looking towards?" Elizabeth asked.

"Money is no object," Ginny said. "I want the room to be beautiful!"

"Well then, let's get started! I know just where to take you!" Elizabeth said. She motioned for them to follow her as she set off across the store. Ginny leaned in to Hermione and whispered, _"I've always wanted to say that!"_

"What?" Hermione asked. "Money is no object?"

"Yes! It makes me feel so wealthy and posh!" Ginny said.

"Oh, Gin, you're such a kid," Hermione laughed, stepping a little more quickly as Elizabeth began heading up a set of stairs. They followed the saleswoman through white wooden archway, and stepped directly into the nursery of Ginny's dreams. It had a cozy, lived-in feel to it but was still beautiful and baby-appropriate. The furniture was a creamy, antique white with scrollwork on the cribs and changing table. Brightly colored rainbow mobiles hung from the ceiling and an overflowing toy chest was covered in whimsical paintings of butterflies, airplanes, birds, and hot-air balloons.

"Ginny! This sounds exactly like what you described!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I _know_," Ginny breathed. "Can I just purchase this entire nursery right now? It's perfect!"

"I'm so glad you like it!" Elizabeth said.

"Like it? I _love_ it! I'm serious, can we buy it? Right this minute?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if you're sure!" Elizabeth said. "You don't want to see anything else?"

"This is it!" Ginny said. "If I can just transplant this exact nursery into my house, I'll be absolutely set!"

"All right. Well then, let's get started!" Elizabeth said, pulling out some papers and a black pen.

"That was fast!" Hermione said. "We've been in here for ten minutes!"

"What can I say?" Ginny said sassily. "I'm just a born shopper!"

"That you are, Gin," Hermione said. "That you are!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Ginny walked through the door that evening loaded down with bags of baby toys, clothes, and furniture pictures. Harry groaned as she met him in the kitchen.

"I can't even see your face under all those bags, Ginny!" he sighed.

"I know! Isn't it wonderful! I'll never have to go shopping again!" she said. "I got all the nursery furniture, and I brought home pictures for you to see. It took me about ten minutes to pick it out – the salesgirl was excellent – so then Mione and I just bopped around the store a bit and picked out some other things. We've got some adorable stuffed toys, books, and boy and girl clothes since we don't know what we're having yet. I got everything done in one day so now I can just relax."

"That's great, love," Harry said. "However, I'm_ not_ going to ask how much you spent." He didn't want to burst her bubble by mentioning all the other baby things they would have to go out and buy before May 1st.

"Well, I didn't clean out the vault completely. But I may have to go back to work a little sooner than intended," she laughed. "Do you want to see the furniture?"

"Sure, Gin!" Harry said. "But I know whatever you picked out will be great." Ginny began setting all her bags down on the table and leafing through them for the catalog of pictures. Several minutes later, she pulled a white folder triumphantly out of one of the pale pink bags.

"Got them!" She sat down next to Harry and pulled the pictures out. They pored over the little cribs and bassinets, the changing table, the dressers, the rocking chair, the toy chest, and all the other little sky-themed accents. Harry smiled through the whole show as he imagined his children occupying the adorable furniture.

"Gin, this all looks wonderful," he said once they were finished. "I'm so excited to be doing this again. Just when I was getting so nostalgic about the kids growing up and that chapter of our lives almost being over, you've surprised me with one of the greatest gifts of all time. I can't wait until all of this is delivered – no pun intended! – and it starts becoming real."

"Well, the furniture should be here around Christmas, so the kids can help us decorate," Ginny said.

"It's going to be great!" Harry exclaimed. "I couldn't be more excited!"

"I feel just the same way!" Ginny agreed. They both stood up and grabbed some bags, climbing the stairs to a nursery which was beginning to take shape.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Around ten o'clock that night, Ginny lay in bed reading a mystery novel while Harry leafed through the Daily Prophet. Suddenly, just as she arrived at the climax of her book, she felt a little flutter in her stomach and reached a hand down to press on her belly. Moments later she felt it again, like a little tremor or twitch. Sitting up quickly, she tapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Harry! I just felt one of the babies kick!" Ginny said breathlessly. Harry sat up as well and reached a hand over to her belly.

"Really? You did! Merlin! What did it feel like?" he asked. "Is it still happening?"

"Shhhh!" Ginny motioned to him to lower his voice. "We have to sit very still and be quiet. They might kick again." They waited several minutes, both with a hand resting on Ginny's stomach. Finally she felt another little flutter.

"There it is again!" she said. She grabbed Harry's hand and placed it over the spot where she had felt the last kick. Just a second later, the baby kicked again. "Did you feel it?" she asked. Harry didn't respond. "Harry? Did you feel it?" She looked over at him. "Are you crying?"

"No, of course I'm not crying," he said thickly, clearing his throat and adding, "I felt it! I felt our baby kick!"

"I wonder who it was?" Ginny asked aloud.

"I bet it was Rocky," Harry said. "He's going to be a little fighter!" They had taken to calling the twins Rocky and Ro after Ginny's ever-present cravings.

"It could be!" Ginny said.

"I hope they aren't fighting in there," Harry joked. He leaned down and put his face close to Ginny's belly, lifting up her pajama shirt. "Hello, babies," he cooed. "This is your daddy. Mummy and I are so excited to feel you for the very first time! We can't wait to meet you! But while you're both still inside Mummy's tummy, I want you to be very nice to one another. No scuffling, understand! And we don't want to hurt Mummy either. I know you are going to be the best of friends when you come out. And you'll have two older brothers and a big sister to be great friends with too! So just keep growing big and strong and giving us those little kicks, and we'll see you in no time. We love you, babies. So very, very much." He placed a soft kiss on Ginny's belly and laid her pajama shirt back down, smoothing it over her belly and sitting back up to kiss her on the lips.

"That was so sweet, Harry," she whispered to him. "I love you, so, so much."

"And I love you, Ginny," he replied softly. "More than you will ever know."

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter – my longest one yet by far! Looking ahead – I'm planning to do Christmas in the next chapter so that should be exciting! I'm ready for the real-life holiday too! Please leave a review of this chapter; it would mean a lot to hear your feedback! Things you liked, things you didn't like so much (but please, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and no flames!), what you'd like to see in upcoming chapters, any inaccuracies about pregnancy (as I have never actually experienced it), etc. You can tell me which of the baby names you liked best in a review or vote in the poll on my profile page for both boy and girl names. I will try to be more reliable with my updating in the future, but we all know how that has gone so far. I'm hoping to get the new chapter out within two weeks though! Thanks again for reading, thanks in advance for reviewing, and hope you all enjoyed the chapter! – Lily **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'M A TERRIBLE AUTHOR I'M SO SORRY I FEEL LIKE I'VE LET EVERYONE DOWN! Well, anyway, I've been working on quite a few real-life projects and I just haven't made Fanfic my number one priority! I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY OK? **** I love you all if you're still reading (feel free to take a little refresher on the other chapters – I'm aware it's been a while)! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorite, story alerted, etc. last chapter. I hope this one will be good enough to make up for my prolonged absence! *Also, I know no one wants to read about Christmas right now but IT'S CHRISTMAS IN MY POTTER WORLD OK?* *Also I'm sorry this is so long and it might be choppy in some parts but I didn't know how to split it in half so you get a beast of a chapter.***

_"We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Glad tidings we bring…" _Ginny trilled as she looped pine garland through the railings of her staircases. Waving her wand, she covered the pine roping in crystal snow and added little red bows for a festive touch. _Perfect_, she thought to herself as she surveyed the stairs.

"Harry?" she called. "Where are you? I've finished the steps and I need your help hanging the roping on the chandelier!" Her husband bounded down the stairs moments later, toying with several strands of blinking colorful lights. "Having a bit of trouble there, dear?" she asked, noting that he seemed to be tangled in the strings. "You know, we could just light the tree with floating candles instead of bothering with that elecktrikicy stuff!"

"No, no, I can figure it out. It'll be just fine," Harry said. "I always used these lights as a child and even though I don't have too many fond memories of that time, I want our children to know of Muggle traditions as well as wizard ones."

"Fair enough, love," Ginny said. "Now, how do the stairs look?" Harry glanced at them quickly and gave her a nod of approval.

"Looks great, darling! Very festive!" Harry said. "You wanted me to put the roping up in the chandelier?"

"Yes, if you would. And I know we never really light the chandelier, but I want to put some red candles up there. I bought some absolutely adorable ones with miniature gold bows on them! And I want to do some crystal frost up there too," Ginny said.

"Alright, let me just grab my broom and I'll fly up there quick," Harry said. He Summoned his Firebolt 5 and mounted, zooming to the top of the thirty-foot tall ceiling with the pine roping flying behind him like a bushy tail. He circled the antique light, looping the garland around the iron candle arms in an upward spiral. "How does it look, love?" he called down to Ginny.

"Great!" she said. "Now just Summon the candles one at a time and stick them on the little arms, please."

"Accio, candles!" Harry shouted. Before Ginny could do a thing, all five packs of candles zoomed at Harry, hitting him in various spots and knocking him off his broom. He managed to grab the stick and was left hanging off of his Firebolt thirty feet up in the air. Ginny cast a quick hovering charm on the candles to prevent them from smashing to the floor, then looked up at her husband. He grinned at her as he tried to pull himself back onto the broom.

"Harry, dear, next time I specify 'one at a time', it might be a good plan to listen, no?" Ginny asked.

"Of course, darling," Harry said. "You're right."

"Right, well, good luck here," Ginny said. "Let me know when all the candles are up and I'll come back to do the frost."

"You're just going to leave me here?" Harry asked, giving Ginny a wounded look as he once again tried valiantly – and failed – to pull himself back onto the broom.

"Hey, you got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out!" Ginny said. "I'll be in the kitchen finishing the cookies." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out, giving Harry a little wave over her shoulder.

"Well, I sure screwed that one up," Harry said. "Seventeen years of marriage, and Ginny's still such a spitfire." He chuckled to himself as he tried to swing his leg over the broom again, failing for a third time. "How in the name of Merlin am I going to get myself out of this?"

Half an hour later, Harry was finally safely back on his broom and the candles were situated on the chandelier. "I'm done, Gin!" he called. She emerged from the kitchen carrying a hot tray of sugar cookies.

"Oh, it looks great, Harry!" Ginny said. "Now, let me just grab _my_ broom and I'll pop up there quick to add the frost."

"Gin, you're almost nineteen weeks pregnant with twins. There's no way you should be getting on a broom!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, Harry, that's preposterous. I'm pregnant, not an invalid! I'll just be up there a minute," Ginny pleaded.

"Gin, that's just not a good idea. Give me the incantation and I'll do it," Harry said.

"If you're sure…" Ginny said hesitantly. "The spell is _Frostea Drisellia _and it's just a quick swish and flick like _Wingardium Leviosa. _Not terribly difficult."

"It'll be fine!" Harry said. He waved his wind in a large swooping motion and shouted "_Frostea Drisellia_". Crystal snow began to spray from his wand as though it was a fire hose, quickly coating the garland and spilling onto the floor below.

"Harry! HARRY!" Ginny shouted. "Stop it!"

"I don't know how!" Harry said in a panicky voice, flying circles around the chandelier in an effort to spread out what was fast turning into a blizzard.

"It's _Drisellium Novesa! Drisellium Novesa!_" Ginny shouted. Harry quickly muttered the spell and the flood of snow pouring from his wand slowed to a trickle and finally stopped. They both surveyed the chandelier which was covered in crystal snow to the point where the candles and garland were invisible. Ginny sighed and, pulling out her wand, quickly Vanished the snow from her vantage point on the floor.

"Let's try this again, Harry," she said. "Make a smaller motion with your wand and don't shout the spell. A simple statement will suffice." He waved his wand in a much more subdued circle and snow began to fall in manageable quantities, sprinkling the garland with light amounts of frost. "Merlin," Ginny muttered. "The man is the Ministry's top Auror and yet he can't perform a simple decorating spell!" Moments later, Harry landed on the floor next to her and made to grab a sugar cookie from the tray.

"Not so fast!" Ginny said. "After that decorating debacle, I don't think I'm going to be giving out any cookies any time soon."

"Come on, Gin," Harry pleaded. "You know I don't do decorating! I tried my best! You can't deny me one of your cookies. You know they're my weakness!"

"Well," Ginny paused. "I suppose I could give you one." She offered him a large red cookie in the shape of a poinsettia. He bit into it lovingly, closing his eyes for dramatic effect.

"Delicious, love," Harry said. "I really am sorry about the chandelier! From now on, we'll just leave the decorating up to you, yeah?"

"Oh, you can help! But I'll be supervising a bit more closely next time," Ginny said. "And the kids will be home soon as well, so they can help out."

"Only five more days!" Harry said. James, Albus, and Lily would arrive home from Hogwarts on December 15th, and Harry and Ginny usually saved most of the decorating to do as a family.

"I'm so excited!" Ginny said.

"Me too," Harry agreed. "You know I love trimming the tree with the kids! I can't wait for them to be home." The Potter family traditionally stopped at a Christmas farm to buy a tree on the way home from Kings Cross, and trimmed it together that evening.

"Our last Christmas as a family of five," Ginny said, patting her belly lovingly.

"I know! Just think, this time next year the twins will be almost eight months old! They'll be crawling, calling us 'mama' and 'dada', maybe even standing up!" Harry said with excitement.

"Oh, Harry, don't remind me. They grow up so fast!" Ginny said.

"I know, I know. But for now, we can just enjoy the moment. The babies aren't even here yet. Merlin, their furniture isn't even here yet!" Harry said.

"Yes, and I've been meaning to talk to the company about that, because I thought it should have been here by now," Ginny said.

"Oh, I don't know, Gin. I'm sure it'll get here soon enough," Harry said, a mysterious glint in his eye. "Now! I'm going to keep working on these lights. I want to put them around the door and trees outside so it all looks great when the kids get here!" With that, he turned on his heel and headed upstairs again, taking the steps two at a time.

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Harry entered the soon-to-be nursery, surreptitiously looking over his shoulder to make sure Ginny hadn't followed him upstairs. He let the door swing shut and stood in the middle of the room, rotating slightly as he surveyed his progress.

"Boo!" Harry jumped in fright as a redheaded figure popped out of the closet and waved its arms at him, trying and failing not to laugh.

"Bloody hell, Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I know, mate," Ron said, laughing hard. "Y-you should have seen yourself jump! I thought your head was going to h-hit the ceiling!"

"That's not true, Ron. I wasn't even that startled!" Harry said, looking defensive.

"Like hell you weren't! Mate, you screamed like a little girl!" Ron laughed.

"Fine, fine, whatever. Just keep your voice down! When did you get here?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Soon enough to see you cause a blizzard in your foyer," Ron laughed. "You are really killing it today, Harry."

"Shut up, Ron," Harry said, punching him on the shoulder. "And really, speak a little more softly! Ginny will hear you!"

"Harry, it's fine. I'm not stupid! I cast a Silencing Charm on this room the minute I got here," Ron said.

"Oh. All right, then. I guess we can get down to business," Harry said.

"Yeah, what's the plan here, mate?" Ron asked. "Why'd you ask me over?"

"Well, this room is going to be the babies' nursery. I want to have it all painted and decorated as a Christmas gift for Ginny. She doesn't even know the furniture's here yet! I've managed to hide all the deliveries from her, and I've been making secret trips during the nights to bring everything up here. She has a whole idea of how she wants it set up, but she's a bit stressed about getting it all done as well as decorating and shopping for Christmas and getting everything ready for the babies, so I thought it'd be a nice present," Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, you're so thoughtful," Ron squealed in a high-pitched voice, still laughing at his best mate.

"Seriously, Ron, shove it! I just want to do something nice for my wife, damn it," Harry laughed. "Do you have to take the mickey out of me at every possible opportunity?"

"Course I do, mate. It's what brothers are for," Ron laughed.

"You'll never change, Ron. I don't know why I bother," Harry laughed. "Now, let's get started. Today I just want to paint the walls and the ceiling. We're doing this sky blue color Ginny picked out. Paint and rollers are over there, so we can get down to it!" The two men walked over to the corner of the room and Harry cracked open a paint can, coating his roller and starting on the walls. The carpeted floor was fortunately covered in a clear drop cloth, as Ron dripped paint onto it the moment he picked his roller up.

"Sorry about that, mate," Ron said. "I dropped a bit of paint there."

"I know you, Ron," Harry said. "That's why I put the cloth down." They both laughed and continued on, spreading paint over the walls in an even rhythm, each lost in their own world.

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"I just don't know what to do, Mione," Ginny said, pulling another tray of cookies out of the oven and setting them on the counter to cool. It was December 12th, and Hermione and Ginny were discussing Christmas gifts as they baked together in the Potter kitchen. "I have absolutely no idea what to get for Harry! I mean, I have some gifts already, but they're just normal. I want to do something really special, this being our last Christmas before the babies."

"I don't know what to tell you, Gin," Hermione said. "I know that Harry will love whatever you get for him."

"Oh, Hermione, that doesn't help. I need a solid idea! So far I've gotten him new dress robes, a book on Defense against the Dark Arts that he's been wanting, season tickets to the Cannons, and the Firebolt 6000."

"Gin, those are great gifts!" Hermione exclaimed. "What are you even worrying about?"

"I know he'll like those, but I just want to do something more personal," Ginny said. "He's been so secretive lately; I know he's got something special for me. And I'll feel terrible if I don't have something great for him!"

"Hmmm…." Hermione mused, rolling out some dough and cutting it into Christmas shapes. Several minutes went by before either woman spoke again. "I know!" Hermione finally exclaimed. "You could make him a family album. You know, like that one he has from Hagrid with all the pictures of his parents? You could do one with old pictures from when you were kids, and pictures from your wedding, and pictures of the kids as babies, and your vacations, and everything! Your whole lives!"

"That's a great idea, Mione! Harry loves all that sentimental stuff. He always cries a bit when he opens cute stuff from the kids, but he pretends he's not crying. He makes this odd sniffling sound and I can always tell. It's quite adorable, actually," Ginny said with a smile. "Oh, I can even end the album with the sonograms I've gotten from Healer Bones!"

"Oh, Gin, he would love that! That way the whole family could be included," Hermione said.

"Okay, so now I'm set on gifts," Ginny said. "For Harry, at least. I still have some shopping to do for the kids."

"Oh, me too," Hermione sighed. "I'm not even done with Ron yet. And we still have to get our Kris Kringle gifts for the annual Weasley gift exchange."

"We got our Kris Kringles already. All I have left are some odds and ends to tie up with the kids. I'm thinking of getting Albus an owl," Ginny said.

"I think he would love that," Hermione said.

"I know, he's been so sad about his rat dying, I think it's time for a new pet," Ginny said.

"I'm getting Rose an owl as well," Hermione said. "I've got one on hold at Eeylops, a nice snowy."

"Oh, beautiful. I don't know what kind to get Albus yet. I'm still debating whether or not he's mature enough to handle it," Ginny said.

"He's thirteen years old now, Gin. He'll be fine," Hermione said.

"Merlin, don't remind me Hermione," Ginny said. "They grow up too fast. Soon these little ones will be thirteen too, and I'll be an old woman." She placed a hand protectively on her belly.

"Now Ginny, don't go erasing their childhoods just yet! There's a lot to live through before babies still in the womb turn into teenagers," Hermione said.

"You're right, of course," Ginny said. "I've been such a downer lately. I think it's missing the kids."

"Well, you won't have to miss them much longer, because they'll be home in three days!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And I couldn't be more excited," Ginny said, pushing yet another tray of Christmas cookies into the oven.

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"MUM! DAD!" Lily Luna shouted as she ran off the Hogwarts Express and grabbed her parents in a bear hug. "I missed you so much!"

"Whoa there, baby," Harry said. "Watch that you don't knock your mother over!" He steadied Ginny, and then held onto his daughter, stroking her hair and planting a kiss on top of her head. Ginny seemed near tears, arms wrapped tightly around her youngest as she rocked back and forth, eyes shut and a smile of pure bliss splitting her face. Moments later, a young boy joined the family hug, smiling up at his mother and father.

"I missed you guys," Albus said.

"We missed you too, Al. Very, very much," Harry said as the hug finally broke apart. "But where's James?"

"I don't know, I wasn't with him on the train," Albus said. The family scanned the platform for their tousle-haired oldest son. Lily finally spotted him across the platform, slapping hands with his two best friends and joking around, not a thought of his parents even entering his mind.

"There he is!" Lily said, pointing through the smoke.

"Classic James," Harry laughed. "Not even remembering why he's here." The Potters loaded their bags, including a cage containing a bedraggled cat, onto a cart and walked over to James who was saying goodbye to his friends.

"Later, Finn!" he said. "Happy Christmas! I'll owl you about meeting in Diagon Alley." Finally, he turned around and noticed his parents.

"Oh hey, Mum, Dad. Nice to see you!" he said, hugging them each briefly. "Wow, Mum, babies are getting big, huh?"

"Yes, right about halfway there!" Ginny said. "They'll be here before we know it."

"I'm so excited, Mum!" Lily said. "I can't believe I wasn't there when you felt them kick though."

"They're kicking all the time now, Lil," Ginny said. "You'll be able to feel it before the holiday is over."

"Oh good!" Lily said. "I wish they were here now so they could spend Christmas with us!"

"Don't rush it, Lil," Albus said. "They'll be here next Christmas…"

"And you might be wishing they weren't," James interrupted with a laugh. Harry gave his eldest a warning look. "Only joking, Dad, don't get your knickers in a twist."

"I hope so, young man," Harry said. "Now, are we ready to go?" James added his bags to their cart and they passed through Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Emerging from Kings Cross, they piled in to the Ministry car Harry had gotten for the day, and drove off.

"There it is, Dad! There it is!" James said, knocking on the window excitedly as he pointed to their traditional Christmas tree destination, Pines and Needles Farm. Harry pulled the car into the lot and gingerly parked next to a large truck. James, Albus and Lily jumped out, immediately running into the lanes of trees and chattering excitedly. Harry helped Ginny out of the passenger seat and they followed their children, laughing at their antics. Harry and Ginny wandered through the lanes of trees for several minutes before Albus raced up them, almost jumping up and down with joy.

"Dad, can we get a really tall tree this year? Like really, really tall?" he asked.

"How tall are we talking here, buddy?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I dunno…maybe like twenty feet or so?" Albus asked.

"Twenty feet!" Ginny exclaimed. "How would we get the star on top of it?"

"Dad could fly it up on his broom!" James exclaimed, popping out from behind a tree.

"Well boys, let's see what we have here and then we can make a decision," Harry said. "After all, remember we want a nice full tree with strong branches first and foremost. We can worry about height later. But if we can find a tall tree that fits the other specifications too, then we'll go for it!" The boys raced off again, and moments later Lily appeared.

"I've found a tree!" she said. "It's beautiful!"

"Where, Lil?" Ginny asked. "Can you show us?" She complied, grabbing her mother's hand and leading her parents through the rows, finally stopping in front of a full, fourteen foot tall fir tree in one of the last rows.

"Isn't it pretty?" she asked excitedly.

"It sure is, baby," Harry said. "I love it! Why don't you go find the boys and see if they like it too?" She dashed off in search of her brothers, calling their names loudly.

"I actually really like this one," Ginny said.

"I know! She picked a great one!" Harry agreed. "If the boys agree to it, this could be one of our fastest tree outings ever." Moments later, Lily rushed back with the boys in tow, gesturing excitedly.

"See," she said. "This is it. Do you like it?"

"I kinda like it," Albus said slowly. "But I wish it was a little taller."

"It's fourteen feet, boys," Ginny said. "I think that's tall enough for us to manage!"

"I like it," James said. "It's nice and big, so we can hang all the ornaments on it."

"Okay," Albus said finally. "We can get it."

"Yay!" Lily exclaimed. "This is the first time we've ever gotten the tree I chose! I'll go tell the tree man so he can wrap it up." She raced off again, running over to the little house where the owner sat.

"I'll stay here to watch the tree," Harry said. "James and Albus, why don't you boys and your mother go inside and get some hot cider?"

"Great idea, Dad!" James said. "I love cider! And we never get it at Hogwarts anymore! Come on, Mum! Let's go!" Laughing, Ginny followed after the boys and entered the little building as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've got the last ornament!" Lily shouted, holding up a pair of spangled ballet slippers and then hanging them from a center branch of the fir tree. She stepped back to admire the bedecked tree, strung with colored lights and silvery tinsel and covered in unique, sparkly ornaments. Harry had finally figured out the electric lights, and compounded with the magical sparkle of the ornaments, the tree gave the room a happy, festive air. A fire roared in the fireplace, and a plate of Ginny's famous sugar cookies rested on the coffee table.

"Merlin, we're almost done!" Harry said. "Just have the star left now. Whose turn is it this year?"

"It's me! My turn!" Albus said, looking very excited.

"I've got it right here," Ginny said. She carefully opened up an unassuming white box and pulled out the magical star she and Harry had purchased on their honeymoon to Germany. It was charmed to literally glow and give off light, and its five points were made of intricate gold scrollwork. She held it up so the family could admire it, then handed it to Albus. "Alright, Al, you do the honors."

"Dad, can you float me?" Albus asked. When Harry nodded in assent, he went over and stood by the tree, holding the star high overhead. With a quick swish of Harry's wand and a murmured, _Wingardium Leviosa_, Albus flew through the air up to the top of the tree. With a flourish, he placed the star on the uppermost branch as Ginny snapped a photograph with her enchanted camera. Moments later, he arrived back on the ground and the entire Potter family stepped back to admire the tree.

"This could be our best tree yet!" James said. "It looks so great!"

"I agree, buddy," Harry said. "Great job to you for picking it out, Lil."

"Thanks, Daddy! I love it!" Lily said.

"I do too, Lil," Ginny said. "Everyone did a great job."

"I'm so excited for Christmas now," Albus exclaimed. "Only ten more days and it'll be here! I can't wait!"

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"Lily! Psst! Lil! Wake up, baby," Harry whispered in Lily's ear. She turned in her bed and stretched an arm out, almost hitting Harry in the head.

"Mmph…Daddy, what is it?" she groaned. "Isn't it the middle of the night?"

"Yes, well, it's 5 o'clock, but I need your help, and this is something we have to do while Mum isn't around to discover us," Harry said. "Come on, get up, darling." Lily stretched and yawned, slowly sitting up and hopping off her bed. Harry took her hand and led her out of her room and down the hall.

"Daddy, where are we going?" Lily asked, yawning.

"Right here," Harry said, swinging open the door to the nursery and flipping on the light.

"Wow," Lily breathed. "What is this, daddy?" She took in the sight of their old spare room, which had been completely transformed into baby heaven. The walls and ceiling were a soothing sky blue, and the floor was covered by a thick, plush carpet in bright white. Two traditional wooden white cribs rested against each wall, completely made up with creamy sheets and knitted blue blankets. There were little dressers and a changing table, a miniature bookshelf, and a cozy rocking chair with a plush pillow on the seat. The only out of place element was a drop cloth in the far right corner of the room, as well as several small cans of paint and brushes.

"Well, Lil, I wanted to create a really special Christmas present for Mummy, so I decided to go ahead and decorate the babies' nursery for her!" Harry said excitedly. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Oh, Daddy, she's going to absolutely adore it! But I don't understand…what do you need me here for?" Lily asked.

"Well, I've almost completely finished decorating, with some help from your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, but I haven't yet completed the mural. Mum wanted to paint a rainbow in the room and sponge dot clouds onto the ceiling. I think it would be really special if you helped out with that," Harry answered. "That way, a part of their older sister could always be in the twins' nursery."

"I would love to help paint the mural, Daddy!" Lily exclaimed. "Let's start now!" The exuberant 11-year-old rushed over to the cans of paint and cracked each one open, examining the various colors and nodding her approval. Harry quickly sketched an arch shape on the wall, and they began filling in the rainbow, which spanned across the corner of the room behind the rocking chair.

Lily wrapped up in one of her father's old shirts as a makeshift smock, and they chatted and laughed as they painted. "I'm going to get you, Daddy!" she jokingly said as she reached up and dotted her father's nose with a dab of red paint.

"Oh, you're in for it now, baby!" Harry said. He quickly took his own brush and made two purple dots on the apples of her cheeks. They giggled and worked until 8 o'clock, when the sounds of morning began to travel up from the second floor and they washed the paint off of their faces, quietly escaping from the former spare room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that same day, _Ginny_ recruited the kids for a Christmas gift project. When Harry left the house for a quick "work outing," she herded them into the lower level of the house, where she had set up several folding chairs and a card table, on which were lined up all the supplies for a beautiful family scrapbook.  
"Oh, Mum," Albus groaned. "_Please _tell me you aren't going to force us to _scrapbook_ all afternoon!"

"None of your whining, Albus dear, that's exactly what we're going to do. I'm making a family album as a Christmas gift for Dad and I want you children to be involved. It can be from you too! I've laid out all the supplies, and we can go through our old photos and choose the best ones. It'll be fun!" Ginny said. Albus and James looked less than thrilled, rolling their eyes at each other at the prospect of doing anything "crafty."

However, the brothers soon found that the scrapbooking _was_ actually quite fun. Within 15 minutes, photos of the family waving and mugging for the camera all around the world on summer holidays were strewn across the card table. Baby photos, family outings, and Christmas holidays past were all represented in the stacks of pictures.

"This is actually kind of interesting, looking at all this old stuff," James said.

"See! I knew you'd like it!" Ginny exclaimed. "Sometimes old Mum isn't as stupid as you think!"

"Al, you were such a twerp," James laughed, holding up a picture of a six-year-old, bespectacled Albus dressed in an argyle cardigan and slacks on a trip abroad.

"Hey, at least _I_ wasn't fat!" Albus said, snickering at a picture of chubby James at age five.

"Oh, you little –" James began, reaching over to hit his brother until Ginny caught his hand.

"Come on, you two, be nice! Can't we just have some fun family time?" she implored them. They sighed and nodded their assent. The little group continued pasting, writing, and choosing photos until a bulging scrapbook lay in the middle of the table.

"Well, that looks beautiful!" Lily exclaimed. "I'm sure Daddy's going to love it!"

"I think so too, love," Ginny said softly. "Daddy will definitely love it." She turned to the final page, a bright green paper layered with photos of Harry's parents, the Weasley clan, their most recent family portrait, and, at the bottom, the twins' latest sonogram, from which the dim pictures of the babies seemed to wave to their daddy. Tracing the faces of her family, she whispered, "It's all about the people he loves the most."

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Before the Potters even knew it, Christmas Eve was upon them. Nine days flew by in a blur of decorating, baking, shopping, and gift exchanges with the Weasley family, until all was done and the only thing left was preparing for Father Christmas and the big morning.

"Oh, Mummy, we have to put out some cookies for Father Christmas!" Lily exclaimed, rushing downstairs at nine o'clock that evening.

"Yes, love, I've already got them right here," Ginny said, handing her excited daughter a Christmas plate holding a generous portion of her famous sugar cookies.

"Oh, good! Daddy and the boys are filling a bucket of water and putting some carrots outside for the reindeer," Lily said. Ginny smiled at her young daughter's happiness.

"You'd better put those by the fireplace, Lily," Ginny said. Lily nodded and skipped off, putting the plate lovingly down on the hearth next to her handwritten note to Father Christmas just as Harry, James and Albus emerged from the yard.

"It's started to snow, Mum!" James said excitedly, brushing small snowflakes out of his messy hair.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Ginny rhapsodized. "There's nothing more perfect than a white Christmas!"

"Now, kids," Harry said. "It's getting a bit late, so let's get ready for bed, yeah, and then we can read _'Twas the Night Before Christmas_, alright?" The kids nodded and raced upstairs to put on their new Christmas pajamas. Moments later, they joined Harry and Ginny in front of the fireplace to read their traditional book. Harry opened the book and drew all three children closer to him, sharing the illustrations and beginning to speak softly.

"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse! The children were nestled, all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads. And Mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap…"

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"IT'S CHRISTMAS! HAPPY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!" Lily shouted, racing through the house at 7:30 in the morning, her exuberant older brothers right behind her.

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS, MUM AND DAD!" yelled Albus

"WAKE UP SO WE CAN OPEN OUR STOCKINGS!" added James, as the three burst into their parents' bedroom. Harry and Ginny smiled blearily from the bed as Lily pounced on them, holding a stocking bulging with little toys, trinkets, candy and fruit.

"Happy Christmas, Mummy! Happy Christmas, Daddy!" she said again, squishing herself between them and hugging each around the neck.

"Happy Christmas, darling," Ginny said, giving her a hug. "Happy Christmas, boys!" They too jumped onto the bed, hugging first their mother and then their dad. To their surprise, Ginny was tearing up, and began to cry softly.

"Oh, Mum, why are you crying now?" James asked. "It's a happy day!"

"I'm just so happy to have you all here with me," Ginny said quietly. "I love you so much."

"Merlin, Mum, you get so emotional when you're pregnant!" James said. "Try to calm yourself, would you? Of course we're all here! We love you too!" The rest of the family laughed at James' indignant expression, and Ginny did indeed dry her tears.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Albus asked. "Can we start opening?" Harry laughed and nodded, and the kids immediately tore into their stockings, a storm of tissue paper and presents peppered with periodic exclamations of delight over a particularly wonderful gift. As the kids began to wind down the opening, they reached over to their parents' stockings which laid at the side of the bed.

"Come on, Dad, you've got to open yours!" Lily said.

"You too, Mum!" added James. They both handed the stockings to their parents, impatiently waiting for them to finish the opening process so they could go downstairs and get to the real stuff.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Only an hour and a half later, the Potters lay in various states of repose in their living room, surrounded by piles of wrapping paper from which animated Santas waved and colorful lights twinkled. Harry always had a tendency to go overboard with presents – Ginny thought he was making up for his own childhood – so Lily, James and Albus were each surrounded by a stack of gifts. Lily held an animated doll made to act like a real baby and was rapidly consuming a jumbo box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Other presents lay around her in a circle, including a Wizard's Chess set. Albus' brand new snowy owl flew high above their heads, hooting and swooping down every so often to try and steal a bean. Albus himself was also buried in presents, presently examining a pile of chocolate frogs with delight, organizing the cards into a new display case. James was holding a new broomstick high and looking at it with wonder; as soon as his parents' attention was on Lily and Albus, he tried to board it and take a lap around the living room. Harry and Ginny also had substantial piles of presents.

"I can't believe it's all over already! We've opened them all!" Lily said. "Well, at least until the family comes over this afternoon."

"Not quite, baby girl," Ginny said. "I think we still have one more gift." She winked at her children as she pulled a medium sized gift from under the tree. "Remember, it's for Daddy?" Lily nodded, and she and the boys and Ginny exchanged knowing looks. Harry looked surprised.

"For me? Oh, but you've already given me so much!" he said, surveying his own brand new broomstick along with the books, handmade cards, and other presents that lay in front of him.

"This one's special, Dad," James said. "We all worked on it."

"James! Don't give anything away!" Albus said, shushing his older brother. Ginny passed the box to Harry, who made a show of shaking it, smelling it, and holding it up to the light to try to see through the paper. Finally, he tore open the wrappings and pulled the blue scrapbook out of the box. He opened it to the first page, on which was a picture of their family and a caption hand-lettered by Lily. He slowly flipped through the book, noting pictures of their extended family and close friends, as well as many of his own three children, his wife and himself. Finally, he reached the last page and traced his fingers over the sonogram. Ginny and the children watched him eagerly.

"Do you like it, Daddy?" Lily asked. Harry didn't respond for a moment. He made a small sniffling noise as he closed the book, and Ginny exchanged a knowing look with James.

"I love it, baby. More than words could ever express," he said. "Thank you all so, so much." He stood and gathered his family into a huge hug, then gave Ginny a kiss.

"Come on, Dad! Don't kiss in front of us!" James said. "That's so gross!" And with that, the sentimental moment broke apart into shared laughter, and Harry took hold of Ginny's hand.

"Oi! James! I'll kiss my wife if I want to!" Harry exclaimed, giving his eldest a mock punch in the arm.

"Well, at least tell me so I can leave the room first!" James said, laughing as he returned the punch. The family began to settle down again, Ginny taking a seat on the couch and the boys returning to their gifts, but Harry and Lily remained standing.

"That actually wasn't the last present," Harry said.

"There's one more special one for you, Mummy!" Lily said.

"Blimey, for me? But I've already got so much!" Ginny said, gesturing to her pile. However, she looked excited at the prospect of another gift. Christmas was Ginny's absolute favorite holiday, and she lit up like a kid whenever she was given a present.

"It's not down here, though," said Harry. "We have to go upstairs."

"Upstairs? Merlin, what could it possibly be that you can't bring it down here?" Ginny wondered aloud, as she followed her excited husband and eager daughter upstairs. The boys brought up the rear, whispering among themselves – though they hadn't painted the mural, they were aware of the secret gift and were quite excited to see their mother's reaction. Ginny looked more and more confused as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Once they got there, Lily pulled a pink scarf out of her pajama pocket.

"Alright, Mummy, now we have to blindfold you," Lily said, handing the scarf to James to tie over their mother's eyes.

"You have to blindfold me? What in the name of Merlin is going on, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking a bit alarmed as her son tightened the blindfold over her face.

"You'll see, darling," Harry said. He swooped over to Ginny and in one smooth motion, lifted her off her feet and began to carry her up the next flight of stairs. Ginny let out a yelp of surprise.

"Harry! What the bloody hell are you doing?" she gasped, tightening her arms in a choke hold around her husband's neck.

"Now, Gin, remember what we've said about cursing in front of the children," Harry said playfully, winking at James, Albus and Lily. Ginny tried to hit him, and he laughed. Moments later, they arrived in front of the old spare room door, and Harry motioned to James to open it. He did so, and Harry gently let Ginny down on the threshold of the door. Lily wiggled forward and grabbed her mother's hand as Albus carefully undid the blindfold, handing the scarf to his father. And Ginny opened her eyes and gasped, immediately brimming over with tears and laughter and joy.

"Oh! Oh!" she said, rushing forward into the room as quickly as a pregnant woman could rush, standing in the center underneath the rainbow light and slowly circling around, taking it all in. She walked to the white dresser and opened a drawer, stroking the rows of little socks and looking at the two pairs of miniature shoes. She walked over to the cribs and held one of the little blue knitted blankets up to her cheek, feeling the plushness of the Mrs. Weasley-sewn gift. She glanced appreciatively at the decal frames above each crib, ready and waiting to hold her babies' names. Harry and the children looked at her expectantly as she traced her hands over the rainbow mural, signed by Lily and Harry at the very bottom in miniature script, and laughed delightedly at the fluffy clouds on the ceiling. Finally, she plopped down in the rocking chair, sinking into the plush cushion.

"This may be the best Christmas gift I have ever received," she said. Her family rushed to her, surrounding her in a giant Potter hug, and she started to cry softly again as she held them.

"Oh, Mum!" James said. "Don't get all mushy again!" And so they laughed, and Ginny dried her tears of happiness, and together they surveyed the room where their newest family members would soon reside. Harry placed a protective hand on his wife's belly, and feeling his new children kick, he felt like they were already there – like their family was finally complete.

"Happy Christmas, my dear," he said.

**A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry about the ridiculous wait for this chapter, guys! I promise, stick with the story and it will never be that kind of wait again. Also, sorry this is so long – as I said, I didn't know where to cut it so you're getting a beast of a chappie. Hope you enjoyed it though! As always, remember to favorite, alert, and most importantly, review! Ideas for new chapters, thoughts on this chapter, con crit, etc. are all wanted and welcome! You can still go to my profile page to vote in the poll about baby names, so if you're interested go ahead and do that. Feel free to suggest any new baby names as well! I love seeing Fanfic emails in my inbox – really keeps me going and makes me want to write more. So thanks for reading, thanks in advance for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll try to have the next one out soon! –Lily**

**Also, if anyone's interested, here's the picture I imagined the Potter's nursery looking like: 2012/06/03/5-fairy-tale-nursery-rhyme-themed-nurse ry-room-ideas/ It's the second photo down I believe. Theirs wouldn't be quite that fancy, but I loved the clouds painted on the ceiling and walls, and the furniture would be very traditional like that. Isn't that a beautiful room? I just loved it! –Lily **


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